How Cora Met Wade: A Seductress Sidestory
by PuddingCup30
Summary: Seven years have passed since Cora left the south and she finally meets Wade Wilson, the talkative mercenary. This is the story of their two years together. Companion story to my fic Seductress. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I know I said my next story would be a WadexOC fic (Btw, that is currently being written! Don't worry!), but I couldn't shake this idea out of my head. I thought it would be cool to see how Cora's time went in the two years she spent with Wade. So this is their story. :) As with Seductress, I'm hoping ideas will be shared for chapter ideas! I have a few thoughts, but I would like some reader input too! FOR NEW READERS: You don't have to read Seductress to get this, but it might make things a bit more enjoyable. It's up to you! ;)**

A warm draft blew through the bar, causing Wade Wilson to shift his gaze towards the door. Things had been fairly quiet this evening, though the night was still young. Several people came in, laughing at something as they walked towards the bar. Just as he was about to turn around in his seat, a flash of red caught his eye. A brunette came sauntering through the door, her stiletto heels clicking against the worn, wood floor. She had a snug red t-shirt on, which was what caught his eye. Women never dressed that casual when they came to a bar, especially when they came alone. Letting his eyes roam over her, he liked what he saw though. Shaking her brunette hair out slightly, she headed across the room towards the bar. Leaning beside Wade, she flagged down a bartender. "Jus' a bourbon please." Her southern twang made his eyes linger longer than he planned. She smirked when she saw Wade watching her.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer Sugah." Picking up her glass, she slapped a few bills on the bar before heading over towards the pool tables in the corner. As she grabbed a pool cue, her eyes flickered back towards him as a Mona Lisa smile stretched across her lips. _Looks like somebody can't keep their eyes off me_, Wade thought with a grin. Grabbing his beer, he headed over to the table, grabbing a pool cue as well.

"So you're here alone?" Wade asked, setting his beer on a window sill.

"What gave it away?" She asked, racking up the balls and settling them in the center of the table.

"No guy in his right mind would let you out alone. Somebody like me would steal you away without thinking twice." Chuckling softly, she set the cue ball on the table.

"Do yah play?" She leaned her hip against the table, still keeping the smirk on her lips.

"Do you bet?" Wade answered, mimicking her lean.

"What did yah have in mind?"

* * *

"Talk about a plan backfiring." Wade muttered, draining the last of his beer. The girl, whose name was Cora, had beat him easily, only giving him one turn before winning. He couldn't help it that the one turn he had, he was distracted by her rocking her hips to the music playing. She had to be a hustler, that was the only explanation. With an irritated groan, he kissed his chance of getting her between the sheets goodbye. He had been surprised when she agreed to the bet (a hundred bucks if she won, a night back at his place if he won), but now he could see why she had been so confident. She watched him over her glass, smirking.

"I wouldn' say 'at. Yah paid for my bike's gas for a while." Letting his irritation go for a moment, he turned back to her.

"What kind you got?"

"Why don't I show yah?" She grabbed his hand and tugged him out the door. Whenever she touched him, it felt like his body temperature raised a few degrees. There was something different about this girl; there was no doubt about it. Being led down the sidewalk, Wade couldn't shake the feeling of infatuation surrounding this girl. Every guy they passed stopped and looked at her, even if they had a girl with them. Stopping in front of a small Harley, she ran her hand over the handlebars.

"This is my baby." She turned to look at him, a proud smile on her lips.

"It's alright," he said, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Not much room on her though." By then, she was on one side of the bike and Wade was on the other. Leaning across the seat, she laughed.

"I ride alone, no need for extra room." Wade leaned forward as well, putting his face within inches of Cora's.

"That's too bad, I was hoping to get to know you better, maybe find a way to get my hundred bucks back."

"Dream on." She whispered as he leaned in and met her lips. Cora was ready to pull away when something made her stop; something about this Wade guy felt different. It was close to the difference she had felt around Remy. Maybe she would stick around and get to know him a bit better.

**Questions? Comments? Complaints? Just click that cute little review button and let me know! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I'm not sure if you guys are liking this story so far. I've got some action filled plans and even an episode of 'breaking through the fourth wall' planned. Things are actually taking a turn for the not-quite-so-normal next chapter, so don't think they're relationship is going to be boring. After all, they've only known each other three days in this chapter! Lol. Please, if you read, leave your thoughts, ideas, complaints, etc. in a review. I would love to know what you guys think! **

Cora was laying on her bed, her butt against the headboard and her legs against the wall. A Three Mile Island nightmare had woken her around five that morning and she had sat that way since then. Her feet were tingling slightly, falling asleep due to their inverted position. Sun streamed through the window of her hotel room, making its way down the bed towards her head. The sound of her cell phone buzzing on the nightstand brought her out of her daze. Stretching her back out and letting her legs flop down on the pillows, she grabbed it and looked at the screen. A text message from an unknown number was waiting for her.

_Hey girl, got plans for today?_ Cora couldn't help but smile; she had a pretty good feeling who this was.

_Could this be Wade Wilson?_ Pullling herself out of bed, she headed towards the bathroom as her phone buzzed again.

_What if it is? _Rolling her eyes, she pulled her toothbrush out of her toiletry bag.

_I definitely have plans if it is!_ Brushing her teeth, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure how to feel about this. She and Remy sort of fell into each other's laps; going through what they did was the source of them getting together. Cora had never really done the dating game, believe it or not. Spitting in the sink, the phone vibrated extra loud against the stone vanity.

_Play nice. How about lunch. Pick you up at noon?_ She smirked. He wanted to know where she was staying. She wasn't giving him that pleasure, no matter how smooth and good looking he may be.

_Meet you at the park at noon._

* * *

"Damn." Wade muttered, reading her response. She knew he was digging for where she was staying and had played him well. She was smart, he had to give her that. After spending an entire evening with her, he didn't have any information that made her traceable. All he had was a name, cell number, and a sassy attitude.

_Sure, sounds great._ Rolling out of bed, he made his way to the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went.

* * *

"Look at him!" she whispered excitedly, pointing at another squirrel. It seemed weary of coming near them, but the French fry on the ground was apparently worth the risk. Wade laughed at her as she leaned around him and stole one of his fries.

"Hey, what's this? You got your own!"

"Come on, he's hungry." She made a pouting face at him, barely able to hold in her laughter.

"No he's not, he's as big as a whale! He's the Moby Dick of squirrels!" She busted out laughing, causing the squirrel to scamper away in fear.

"Yah're so weird." Cora laughed out, taking a bite out of her cheeseburger.

"And yet, here you sit."

"Yeah, still not sure why." She giggled, playfully shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, you know what they say; the weird ones are kinky and have the biggest—."

"WADE!" she was gaping at him. Unable to hold it in, he doubled over in a fit of booming laughter.

"What? You wanted to know why! I can't help it you're attracted to me and my assets." He looked back at her, pleased to see her cheeks were blazing and she was smirking as she silently laughed. They were sitting on top of a picnic table in the shade of an enormous oak tree in the park. A small pond glared brilliantly in the afternoon sun, the faint sound of ducks quacking barely audible. Leaning back, Wade casually rested his arm behind her, his fingertips an inch away from her backside. Cora didn't seem to notice as she continued eating.

"So what 'bout yah? I don' know anything about yah besides the fact that yah suck at pool."

"Oh, I'm good at pool, I just didn't want you to feel bad about losing."

"Whatever loser. But quit dodgin' my question. Tell me 'bout yahself." He shifted slightly, trying to hide his discomfort.

"Oh, I'm just a boring guy, nothing to really know." She rolled up the foil that had held her burger and bounced it off his head.

"So yah're 'at shady, huh?" Grabbing the foil ball, he pulled back the neck of her shirt and dropped it in.

"What makes you say that?" Squirming, she wiggled around until the ball fell out of her shirt onto the table.

"'Cause 'at's what I say when somebody asks me 'at question." They sat in their first silence since they had met, watching the squirrel approach the table again.

"Maybe a game of twenty questions then?" She glanced at him, her face hopeful.

"Sure, but every answer won't be as awesome as you expect." He said, his cocky grin settling on his face. Rolling her eyes, she signaled for him to ask the first question.

"Human or mutant?" Her face quickly became shocked as she looked down at her hands. It was obvious she hadn't expected that to be a question.

"Mutant…" she said softly, chancing a glance at him.

"I like that. Keeps things interesting" A relieved smile filled her face at his response, her body visibly relaxing. Wade even noticed that she leaned a bit closer to him.

"Occupation?" It was Wade's turn to stiffen up. She noticed and looked at him with confused eyes. _I can't tell her after knowing her for a few days. She'll run away screaming and I'll have to skip town. I CAN'T TELL HER. _

"Don' yah lie to me Wade. I didn' lie to yah."

"Let's just say it's not a very nice job." She studied him for a moment, looking straight into his eyes before nodding.

"I'll take 'at. For now." She wagged a warning finger at him, making him laugh and loosen up again. "My job is to take money from saps like yahself."

After that, the questions were much more laid back.

"Favorite color?" He looked down at the sleeveless red shirt he was wearing. He had worn red both times they had seen each other. "Well, I guess 'at should've been obvious. I don' really have a favorite color."

"Bull!"

"Well…I guess mine's red. But I like purple too." He stretched before asking his question, feeling his vertebrate crackle quietly.

"Favorite music?"

"I'm a southern girl, spent a lot of time in N'Orlans. So I like jazz, R&B, and even a bit of country ever' now and then." She grinned before continuing. "I'm a closet classical lover too." He clutched his heart dramatically.

"I don't think this will work out. I can't stand country, I can tolerate jazz, and I can't say much of R&B. And classical is a bore." He chuckled as she shook her head at him.

"Drama queen." She muttered, trying to think of her next question. "Favorite food?"

"Gosh, what do I not like? I gotta say, I love a good steak. You could get me to do anything with filet mignon dangled in front of my nose." He looked back at her, grinning as she shook with laughter.

"I'll keep 'at in mind. I really like Italian food, somethin' about it just screams delicious." After a debate over which actor was the best James Bond, Cora asked about favorite hobbies.

* * *

"Sword fightin'?" she asked, her face impressed. Wade nodded, glad to see she was cool with it. After all, it was more than a hobby. "So 'at's where the calluses came from?" she murmured, running her thumb over his rough palm. He had grabbed her hand around question five for some random reason and neither of them had let go. After a quick nod, he asked her the same question.

"What about you?" She sighed softly.

"I don' really have any hobbies unless yah count…" She trailed off, lost in thought for a moment.

"Count what?"

"Well, let's just say my last job wasn' so nice either." He looked down at her. She seemed too sweet to be involved in anything bad.

"I'll take that. For now." He said in a mocking voice, making her punch his shoulder playfully.

"I mean 'at. Yah're gonna to tell me eventually."

"Oh really, and what if I don't? What are you going to do?" He asked, laughing at her. Moving quickly, she grabbed both of his wrists and pinned him to the table, leaning over his chest slightly.

"I have my ways, Mr. Wilson." He seemed startled for a moment before a wicked glint crossed his eyes. Rolling over, he flipped Cora over onto the table and straddled her, pinning her wrists above her head. Leaning close to her ear, he laughed softly.

"Might want to work on those ways, Ms. Moores." He felt a small shudder pass through her. "Do I make you nervous sweetheart?"

"Yah wish." He loosened his grip on one of her arms, teasing her slightly. She surprised him when that hand wound around his neck and pulled him down to her. Their lips were inches apart and Wade was burning to close the gap. It felt like the air had become thicker somehow.

"Watch yahself." She whispered softly before flipping him off the table. He rolled over onto the seat, then onto the ground, hitting the dirt with a loud 'thud!' Groaning, he pulled himself to his feet as she laughed. She was perched on the table, a picture of innocence as she smiled at him.

"I'll get you for that, you just wait." He said, brushing his shirt off. "Not today, but I'll get you." Her smile spread.

"Does 'at mean you're askin' me on a second date?"

"Yeah, something like that."

**Well, that was a comin'-to-Jesus sort of talk I guess. Haha. Shoot some love my way! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy. I haven't got any feedback (besides one favorite and alert; Thanks Lorna Roxen!), so I'm worried nobody's enjoying this. Should I stop writing and just focus on the other story instead? Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS READERS! :)**

"How do yah know this guy again Ro?"

"He's a friend of a friend, Cora. Why are you so worried?" Cora and Ororo were walking up the busy driveway towards a humongous house. It looked even bigger than Xavier's mansion. Smoothing out the front of her black cocktail dress, she shrugged.

"I dunno, I'm just not used to stuff like 'is." Ororo laughed, her long, white gown billowing around her.

"Don't worry, it's a great way for us to catch up and have some fun!" It had been nearly a year since she had seen her. When Wade had told her he would be out of town for a few days with work, she had called her friend up. As it turned out, Ororo had been invited to a special party to celebrate some hot shot making a zillion dollars or something. She was allowed to bring a guest, so Cora had packed up and drove up to New York for the weekend. Music was drifting down the drive, laughter from the party echoing down the lawn.

"Yeah, this could be fun." She said quietly, smirking at the thought of the long night ahead.

* * *

Hip hop beats radiated from the floor, shivering up Cora's high heels and straight up her spine. She and Ororo were on the edge of the mass of people on the dance floor, rocking their hips and laughing. As the song ended, Ororo grabbed her arm.

"I gotta rest my feet, let's go get a drink." Cora let her friend lead her out of the room towards a bar that had been set up for the party.

"A glass of champagne please." Cora looked at Ororo, disbelief etched on her face.

"Yahr idea of getting' wild is a glass of champagne?" Shaking her head, she yelled at the bartender to come back. "HEY BUDDY! My friend was wrong. She doesn' want champagne, how 'bout some tequila shots?" The glare Ororo gave her made her add, "Better make it fast."

"Why'd you do that?" Cora motioned to the party around them.

"Yah wanted to have fun! Just loosen up a lil'. I don' mean get so smashed yah think yah're a flamingo or anything, just be a lil' wild." Ororo was getting ready to say something when she giggled.

"A flamingo, Cor?" Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a shot and forced one in her friend's hand.

"A night I'm still tryin' to remember, I assure yah." Tipping their heads back, they finished off a couple rounds before heading back to the dance floor. Before they made it there, however, a hand caught Cora's arm.

"My dear, how have I not met you yet?" A man in an expensive looking tux was eyeing her like a piece of meat. This must be Mr. Hot-Shot's son. His emotions were tacky; conceited, smug, and pride made a sour taste in her mouth that competed with the tequila she had just downed.

"Guess I fall through the cracks sometimes." She said, trying to tug her arm out of his grasp.

"Well, I won't let that happen again." Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Cora swore she saw a familiar flash of red across the room, but it was gone as quick as it had appeared. "Care to join me?" He asked, looking at her expectantly as he motioned towards the stairs. Her mind might be slipping slightly due to the tequila, but she wasn't stupid.

"Sorry pal, no can do."

"Pardon me?"

"I said no!" Cora shouted over the music, finally prying her arm out of his grasp. Before he could reply, she grabbed Ororo by the elbow and drug her out on the dance floor. "Please tell me they aren' all 'at bad?" she whined to the weather witch, trying to maneuver around some drunk dancers.

"Just for you sweetheart." Ororo laughed out. "And it sounds like that Wade guy is nice. You'll have to introduce him sometime." They managed to evade the rich guy, booty poppin' and hip shakin' their way around the crowd.

"'Ro, we haven' even been togetha a month!"

"Still, if he's as good looking as you said, I want to get an eyeful." Laughing, the two of them continued to dance, enjoying the crazed excitement radiating from the crowd. About half a dozen songs later, it hit Cora.

"'Ro, I gotta pee." She whispered in her ear. "The tequila shot straight through me." Giggling, Ororo stayed on the dance floor as Cora wriggled through the crowd and headed upstairs in search of a bathroom. Quickly finding one, she ran inside before her bladder exploded. Tequila always seemed to do that to her.

After washing her hands, she was made her way down the hall until an emotion caught her attention. It was close and extremely strong. _Fear._ Following the feeling, she saw an office door standing ajar. Peeking inside, she saw an older man sitting at a desk.

"Please, don't kill me! I'll give you anything!" His voice came out as a sqeak, his sweat causing the few strands of gray hair he had to stick to his forehead. The only answer was a gagging sound. Pushing the door open, Cora's jaw felt like it hit the floor.

"Wade?" He was pulling a sword from the man's stomach when he turned. He looked as shocked as she was, his body tensing up.

"What…?" She couldn't think of what to ask, only staring at the blood on Wade's arm and shirt. Suddenly, he turned and pushed open the window and jumped out. Running over, she stared out into the dark.

"Wait!" Nothing but the chirping of crickets answered her. Clenching the window sill, she was finally able to form the question she wanted to ask: _What the hell just happened?_

_

* * *

_

Hey, this is Wade. I can't answer right now, probably busy with a woman. I'll get back to you after the afterglow wears off

. Cora gritted her teeth as his voicemail picked up again. She had listened to that stupid message eight times before leaving the room. Running downstairs, she found Ororo and drug her out the door before explaining anything.

"I have to talk to 'im." Cora said, trying to flag down a cab as she ran down the street.

"No, you need to forget him and hope he doesn't do the same to you!" Ororo called out, trying to keep up. A cab finally pulled over and they piled in and told the driver to head towards the mansion.

"No, I need to talk to 'im and get his side of the story." Ororo looked at her, not believing what she heard.

"You can't be serious."

"What?"

"Cor! He killed somebody!" Cora shushed her loudly when the cab driver turned around to look at them.

"I know 'at. But…" Why was she defending him when he was a killer? She couldn't deny it, she watched him pull the sword out of the old man's gut.

"But what?"

"He…" she looked down, not wanting to say it.

"He what?"

"He reminds me of Remy." Ororo's face went from angry confusion to pity in a split second, her emotions shifting faster than the weather in the summer.

"Oh Cora…he's nothing like—."

"I can feel somethin' in him that is like Remy. It's just somethin' about 'em that sets 'em apart from the half-brained idiots that hit on me. I know they're different, but…" she trailed off as they pulled in front of the mansion. Throwing some money at the driver, she pulled her heels off and took off running towards the school.

"Cora! What are you doing?"

"I'm getting' the professor to use Cerebro. I'm findin' 'im!"

* * *

Cora stood outside room three nineteen at a shabby hotel nearly forty-five minutes from the mansion, her arm ready to knock against the door. Taking a deep breath, she pounded three times before her nerves got the best of her. She heard the floor creak as somebody neared the door, but it didn't open.

"Wade, I just wanna talk." Still no answer.

"Open the door please." Silence.

"WADE! Open the damn door right now!" Her outburst caused a cleaning woman to scurry back down the hallway. Cora usually didn't have a temper, but recent events had cut her patience short tonight. To her surprise, it opened to reveal a freshly showered Wade. For a moment, she got distracted by the fact that he was in a towel and moisture still clung to his skin. Shaking her head, she pushed it open further and walked into the room. Both of them were silent, unsure what to say.

"So…yah kill people?" Cora finally said, sitting on the edge of the bed as he leaned against the wall. His jaw clenched slightly before he spoke.

"Look, nobody was supposed to see that. I'm surprised you even wanted to find me and I understand it freaks the hell outta you, it does when girls find out—"

"Wade?"

"I get it if you don't want to see me again and—"

"Wade?" Cora said, trying to get him to shut up.

"You don't have to worry about me coming after you or—" Wade was cut short when Cora smashed her lips against his, pushing him flat against the wall. After a few seconds, she pulled away.

"Can I speak now?" she asked, exasperated yet still managing to smile. He nodded, a stunned grin on his face. "So what are yah exactly?" She still had him pressed up against the wall, her hands against his chest.

"I'm a mercenary." Cora was silent for a moment, rolling that bit of information around in her mind.

"So…yah're like an assassin?"

"Basically."

"And when were yah plannin' on tellin' me?" Wade looked at her, clearly confused. By this point, women were usually running for the hills in fright.

"I don't know…" She stepped away from him, still watching him.

"Well, I'm glad the mystery of your work is outta the way. It was drivin' me crazy." She couldn't believe she was taking this so well, Ro would kill her for it. He killed people for money. And she didn't even know if they were bad people who might deserve it. She was smiling at a guy who killed people for a living.

_No,_ she thought. _I'm smiling at a man who is as controversial as I used to be. _Wade looked at her uncertainly, not believing how casual the conversation had been.

"You look nice." Cora laughed at his attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Yeah, so do yah now that all the blood's gone."

**Feel free to review if you have a spare second!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is a little short, but it's setting the stage for more. Hope you guys enjoy and hope you had a great Christmas! Don't be afraid to leave questions, comments, complaints, or plot ideas; I love getting feedback! :)**

Wade shook rain off his jacket as he headed towards the elevator. Pushing the button, he thought he caught a whiff of bread hanging in the air. Cora must have just got home; she had talked about getting something from the bakery on her way here. He shook his head, still unable to grasp how all this had worked out.

One minute, she's screaming her head off at him and about ready to break the door down at his hotel. The next, she's grinning at him like he hadn't told her he killed people. She hadn't pushed the issue. She asked a few simple questions and accepted the answers without batting an eyelash. She surprised him again when she ended up sharing what her mutation was, which had remained as big of a mystery as his work.

Learning that his girlfriend was, as she called it, a 'seductress' was a bit of a shock. She assured him that she kept it as minimized as possible, but it occasionally spiked unexpectedly. She confirmed that the feeling of the air thickening and rise in body temperature were effects of it. Being an empath was interesting as well, but not as interesting as her pumping out lust all the time.

Truthfully, he expected her to drift off when they got back from New York. Yet she was spending just as much time with him, maybe more. The door finally opened and he stepped inside, dripping water onto the floor of the elevator. It was like a freakin' monsoon out there. When the door opened again, he stepped out in his front hallway and tossed his coat on a hook on the wall. Her rain boots were lying in the floor, and a trail of water led out towards the kitchen.

Staying silent, he followed the trail to find an empty kitchen, though grocery bags were scattered on the table. He noticed the radio was on somewhere deeper in the apartment as he continued along the trail. The laundry room door was open, a southern twang singing along to a crappy new top 40 song. Leaning against the door frame, he enjoyed the view for a moment before thinking of saying anything. Cora had her back to him, rocking her hips along to the beat as she folded laundry. Seeing how she was only wearing a camisole and underwear, she had Wade's full attention.

"You know, I picked you as a Victoria's Secret girl, not Hane's." She whirled around, slamming into the washing machine and pulling a towel in front of her.

"What're yah doin' here?" she nearly yelled. He let his smug grin get bigger.

"This is my place." Her face was turning a brilliant shade of crimson as she stuttered out an answer.

"I know…I…What I meant was…What're yah doin' back so early?" He casually made his way across the room, cornering her slowly.

"I finished training and didn't feel like running any errands, so I just came back here." By then, he had her cornered against the washer, his arms settling on either side of her. "The real question is: What are you doing in my laundry room so close to being naked?" He leaned forward, kissing the crease between her neck and shoulder. A shudder went down her spine, causing Wade to chuckle. He'd have to remember that.

"A car went by," Cora was trying hard to focus as he lifted her up until she was sitting on the washing machine. "Splashed me. I threw my clothes into the dryer when I got here." Before she could say anything else, his mouth was on hers.

She had half a mind to push him away since his emotions were so strong and toxic tasting, but only half. The dryer kicked off, but they ignored it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, ruffling his hair. One of his arms wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her closer. His other hand started trailing up her thigh, slipping under the towel.

"Wade…" she warned, pulling away slightly.

"Hmm?" He got another involuntary shiver out of her spine as his hand continued upward.

"Stop." It took every shred of willpower in her body to say that.

"I don't see why…" Before he could go any further, Cora pushed him back and gave him a jolt of her mutation to make him stumble. "What was that for?" he looked ticked off.

"I'm not 'at kind of girl." Partly true. Leaning over, she opened the dryer and pulled out her jeans. Sliding off the machine, she pulled them on quickly as the towel dropped. She could feel Wade's irritation as she pulled on her long sleeve t-shirt. Turning, she wrapped her arms around his waist before he could protest and whispered softly against his chest.

"Just gimmie some time Sugah." She felt his irritation dissipating slightly as she pulled away. "And Vicky and I get togetha for special occasions. Maybe yah'll join us sometime." She heard him laugh softly as she headed back towards the kitchen.

* * *

"I was thinkin'." Wade said through a mouthful of spaghetti as they sat at the coffee table in the living room. The power had finally kicked off, so they were side-by-side in the floor eating by candlelight. It was romantic in a cheesy sort of way.

"Don' hurt yahself sweetheart." Cora said, laughing at his mock hurt expression. His arm was around her shoulder, and he gave her a soft pinch before he spoke.

"Be nice or I won't offer it to you." This peaked her curiosity.

"What do yah mean?" He grinned, glad to see her interested.

"If you don't have any plans, I thought you might want to go on a trip with me." She grinned as she chewed.

"Yah have my attention."

"I have some work to do down in Cuba." Her eyes widened, knowing what that meant. "Nothing serious or dangerous; I wouldn't ask you along if it was. I thought you might like to spend a week down there though." He looked at her, shoving another forkful of food in his mouth. She nodded excitedly.

"When do we leave?"

**If you've read Seductress, you might remember the Cuba flashback Cora has when she's in Miami. This is that trip! More goes on than a bit of salsa dancing though, I assure you! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, as a late Christmas/early New Year's present, I'm giving you two chapters for one update! Truthfully, I'm not all that crazy about the first one. It's more emotional than I wanted, but it had to happen eventually. I've rewritten it a few times and finally settled with this one. Please don't leave me because of it! Lol. I'm thinking one more chapter(which I'm posting pretty much right this second) in Cuba, then I'll take us to some real adventures. :) Just want to thank you guys for the story alerts and story favorites, both for this and Seductress. Also, there were a few author faves as well, and I must say I'm flattered! Anyway, you know the drill, leave me questions, comments, criticism, and chapter ideas if you'd like. Hope you enjoy!**

"Come on Cor, I thought you said you had climbed before." Wade was peering over the ledge of the rock face down at her. Cora let out a low growl, not liking the cocky grin on his face. Pushing upward, she quickened her ascent up the rocks. He had shown her where the best grips were, making things easier. Still, her brain was foggy with fatigue and it made rock climbing even more challenging. As she neared the top, Wade's hand was outstretched and waiting for her.

After being hauled over the edge, she pretended to stumble and shoved him. Tripping, he fell flat on his back. Scowling, he knocked her feet out from beneath her and caused her to fall on top of him.

"Ass." She elbowed him playfully, pulling her camera out of her pack. "Smiles." Cora said, snapping a picture before pushing herself off of him and getting to her feet. Cora noticed there were other people on top of the cliff resting from the climb.

"You look tired." He commented, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her attention back to him.

"Yeah, somebody drug me all over Havana today." That wasn't the main reason she was tired though. Thanks to a series of nightmares the night before, she was running on an hour of sleep during their first day in Cuba. Wade let go of her and headed towards the trees. "What're yah doin'?" He smirked as he answered.

"I gotta take a leak, want to help me?" Rolling her eyes, she sat down on rock ledge and let the sun warm her skin. Even with the muggy air, she loved it. As soon as they landed, she had practically danced out of the airport in excitement. Even though she had traveled everywhere in the States, she had never explored beyond its borders.

"Hola cariña." A few men were approaching her. Their emotions made Cora feel edgy. They weren't nice people, even if they were smiling at her.

"Hi…" she said, turning to see if Wade was coming back yet. When she turned back, the leader of the group was uncomfortably close. Scooting back on the rock, she forced herself to be calm. She didn't want to make a scene and attack the guy if she didn't have to.

"The man made a mistake leaving you alone." He whispered, his nauseating breath making Cora's head spin. When he rested his hand on her knee, somebody landed a solid punch against his jaw. Wade hauled Cora up quickly, putting himself between her and the men. The other man glared at Wade, rubbing his jaw gingerly. He hissed in Spanish, causing his posse to advance on them.

"Stay behind me." Wade whispered to her, clenching his fist in anticipation. Before anyone got hostile, one of the men collapsed to the ground with a pained groan.

"What the hell?" the others yelled. Another fell before Wade landed another solid punch on the leader, causing him to crumple on the ground.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." Cora looked calm, her eyes blazing slightly.

"Maybe we should head back to town." It wasn't a question. Wade grabbed their guideline and hooked her harness to it, giving her an insistent push towards the ledge. They rappelled down quickly and were walking back to the car before either of them spoke.

"What was that back there?" Wade asked, focusing on the rocky path.

"What do yah mean?"

"I sure as hell didn't make those two guys collapse." They continued in silence, Cora stumbling over a few tree roots before she spoke.

"That's me. My mutation with a bit of concentration."

"So if you get mad at me, I can expect my face to eat the dust?" He was laughing as he said it.

"Yeah, so yah better watch out!" She giggled, feeling fatigue come over her again.

"You know, you might want to consider joining my line of work." Cora stopped walking. Was he serious?

"Yah mean...be a mercenary like yah?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of be a mercenary with me. You've got useful talents, no need to waste them."

* * *

He thought he imagined the first whimper. He had been looking over the file for tomorrow's job before heading to bed. A drug lord in Las Tunas was getting a bit too successful and somebody wanted him out of the picture. He was flipping through pictures when he heard the sound. He was chalking it up as his imagination when he heard it again.

This time, Cora moved in the bed. She had been still and silent since she had collapsed in bed earlier, groaning about being exhausted. She started squirming, whimpers and groans filling the air.

"Cor?" She didn't answer; whatever was bothering her seemed to be getting worse. She started thrashing around in the bed, throwing the blanket off.

"No! Don'!" she squeaked out, curling up against some unseen threat.

"Cora, wake up!" Wade whispered, shaking her shoulder. When he touched her, she let out a scream and fell out of the bed. Her eyes snapped open when she hit the floor, her breathing ragged. Wade hurried around the bed, crouching by her.

"Cora?" he asked tentatively. Her hands were shaking when she hid her face in them, backing up until she was against the wall. She didn't answer, just sat there cowering. Even though her eyes had been open, Wade wasn't entirely sure she was awake.

"Are you awake?" She peeked out from behind her hands, still shaking all over as she barely nodded. She looked terrified.

"Come here." He said softly, holding out his arms. Slowly, she slid over, letting his arms wrap around her. They sat that way for a few minutes until Wade spoke.

"Want to talk about it?"

"It's a long story." She mumbled, burrowing deeper against his chest.

"I've got time." She took a slightly unsteady breath.

"I used to go to school in New York, at this place called Xavier's. When I was seventeen, I took off runnin' and…I got picked up 'round the Canadian border. These men took me to Three Mile Island." Wade was silent for a moment.

"I heard that was a mutant experiment facility."

"Yah heard right." Her voice sounded dead before sounding tired again. "Let's jus' say I had a rough year and a half." Wade pulled her into his lap and rubbed her back as she settled against him again.

"How'd you get out?" He knew mutants didn't come out of those places alive unless they escaped. She was silent for a while, her thumb absently rubbing against his wrist.

"The guy across from me got out and helped me." Wade wanted to ask more, but he thought better of it. "I've been havin' the nightmares for more 'an eleven years." She murmured, her voice sounding groggy.

"Are they always this bad?"

"Not always." Her eyes slid shut as she snuggled up against him more, exhaustion taking over.

"How'd you get through them all these years?" Wade couldn't see how she put up with them this long, especially in the beginning.

"Remy…" she whispered, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

When Cora woke up, Wade was gone. For a panic-filled moment, she wondered if she scared him away. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, she noticed a note. Reaching out, she fell back in the pillows and read it.

_Cora,_

_Sorry I had to leave before you woke up. Hope you'll be alright while I'm gone. I'll be back in a few days, then we'll paint the town red. _

_Wade _


	6. Chapter 6

**So here's the second half of today's update. If you read Seductress, then you should recognize the end of this chapter as the flashback Cora had in Miami. Truth be told, I'm glad they're finally leaving Cuba! Lol. Nothing exciting really happened, it was mainly coming out into the open about a relationship and a crappy past. I promise things will get better. :) Hope you enjoy.**

"Oh, de pretty lady like to dance?" Cora turned to see a man dancing in the street, a rag-tag band sitting on the corner spurring him on. She had heard them playing earlier as she ate in the café they were in front of.

"Me?" She asked, stifling a laugh. This wasn't the first time a stranger had asked her to dance in the streets. It seemed Cubans simply loved to dance and entertain tourists.

"Sí, señorita. ¿Bailas conmigo?" She was nervous about leaving her shopping bag alone; Wade had warned her that pickpocketing and the like were the most popular crime here. Setting it down by the drummer of the band, she turned and was surprised as the man swooped in and grabbed her. Twirling her around, he seemed surprised that she had a vague understanding of the steps.

"You dance before, mi cariña?" Using the word cariña made her think of the men from the first day, but this man was kind. Laughing, she let him spin her around the circle the crowd surrounding them had made.

"Yah think yah're the first one to grab me today?" He chuckled, dipping her low. He was a strong and confident lead, helping her through the steps she didn't know. As the band ended the song, he twirled her around with a flourish before dipping her again. The tourists watching them applauded as they dispersed, going on with their sightseeing.

"It was a pleasure cariña. Perhaps you be back tomorrow?" Picking up her bag, which was still sitting by the drummer, she considered it.

"Yah'll teach me more steps?" He grinned, jigging slightly at her interest.

"¡Sí! I be here tomorrow and teach you!"

"See yah then Sugah."

Wade frowned as he drove down the dirt road. It was a good thing he was getting a decent paycheck for killing the druglord. He had spent more time driving to get to the idiot than it took to find him and kill him. The drive back to Havana felt like it was stretching forever and all he could think about was Cora. She was surprising him more and more, and bringing up an abundance of questions.

The biggest one that had been nagging at him was simple: Who the hell was Remy? It had to be an old boyfriend. She wasn't a girl to sleep around, so they must have know each other a while. He wondered if they knew each other before Three Mile Island or if they had met afterward. He would have to get the story sometime before it drove him insane.

Nearly two hours later, he was walking into the hotel. The lobby was quiet since it was so late; the man working the desk was dozing off against the wall, letting off soft snores. Wade quickly made his way to the room, unlocking it quietly. Stepping inside, he listened for any sign that Cora was up and heard nothing. Silently dropping his backpack, he looked around the room.

She was asleep in the armchair, her head resting against one arm while her legs were draped over the other. Her nightgown probably hit at her knees, but at the moment, it was bunched up at the top of her thighs. The book she had been reading had slid onto the floor as she slept. Walking over to the chair, he planned on picking her up bridal style and putting her in the bed. As he slid his arms beneath her, however, she woke up. At first, she was caught between confused and 'get-the-hell-offa-me', but then she saw it was Wade.

"Yah're back!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he picked her up.

"Miss me babe?" She pretended to think as he walked over to the bed.

"Nah." She laughed out, letting out a yell as he tossed her in the bed. He grinned as she flopped on it, throwing a scowl his way.

"Miss me now?" She pulled herself up on her knees and shuffled to the end of the bed. He felt the air thicken slightly.

"The question is: Did yah miss me?" Wrapping her arms around his waist, he felt like his skin was on fire.

"You're not playing fair." He mumbled, pulling her in for a hungry kiss.

"I don' know what yah're talkin' 'bout." She answered, though he could feel her smile. Before he could push her back on the bed and do what he wanted, she pulled back and the mood instantly lightened. Leaning back, she sat on her heels and grinned.

"Tease." He muttered with a laugh as he headed towards the bathroom. Soft laughs followed him, the bed creaking as she laid back down. Wade showered quickly, scrubbing himself down to get rid of the blood that had managed to splash on him. A knot of tension settled in between his shoulders as he turned the water off. It was the annoying question about Remy, he knew it. He never liked not knowing things. He would be wound tighter than a drum head until she told him. Pulling on a fresh pair of boxers, he left his clothes in the floor and turned off the bathroom light as he stepped out.

To his surprise, Cora was sitting up in the bed. When she heard the door open, she looked up, a tired and patient smile on her lips. She pat the bed space in front of her, beckoning him. As soon as he sat down, she placed her legs on either side of him. He let his arms casually rest on top of them as she started rubbing his back.

"Rough day?" she murmured, digging her fingers in between his shoulder blades. It hurt, but at the same time, it felt pretty damn brilliant.

"Not too bad…" He groaned out, leaning back against her.

"Okay, what d'you want to ask me?" She pressed her thumbs into his back, a satisfying pop ringing in the air. Wade was glad he was facing away from her so she wouldn't see the look of surprise on his face. He forgot about her being an empath. She must have felt how irked he was about not knowing. She continued working her hands against his shoulders and back as she waited, knowing something was bothering him.

"Who's Remy?" Her hands stopped moving. He felt her tense up.

"Why?"

"Well, the other night when you had your nightmare, you said he was the only reason you got through them this long." Letting her chin drop down and rest on his shoulder, she wrapped her arms around his stomach. She sighed softly before speaking.

"'Member how I said the guy across from me escaped at Three Mile and helped me out too?" Wade nodded. "'At was Remy Lebeau. We got out and ran until our feet bled, we were so scared. Both of us were still kids…" He could hear the ghosts of memories in her voice. "He told me I was welcome to go to N'Orlans with him since he had family down 'ere. So I went and 'ey accepted me in without any questions. 'Ey brought me into the family business—"

"Which was?" She squirmed behind him slightly before settling down and continuing.

"We always said we tested security systems," she laughed slightly at the thought. "But we were thieves. The Lebeau family and all they're runaways made up the Thieves Guild down 'ere." They sat in silence for a while, Cora revisiting her past while Wade thought over the new information.

"So what went on with you and Remy?"

"Well…we dated. At firs', we were jus' friends, but he was too much of a lady's man and I was too much of a man's woman for it to not happen." She felt out Wade's emotions, worried about his reaction to find that he was still in the same state of curiosity…and, of course, the ever present state of arousal that followed him.

"Was it serious?" There was a hint of jealousy in his question. Cora was hesitant to say, knowing he would hate the answer.

"Yeah…it was. Four good years." He stiffened slightly, irritation starting to leak into the air. "But those four years are long gone. I didn' get what I needed, so I…broke things off." No need to tell him about the balcony break-up incident. She gave him a squeeze, even curling her feet around his knees to let him know she wasn't lying.

"And what did you need?"

"Somethin' he could never figure out."

"Here's to the last crappy meal we'll have before going back to the States." Wade laughed as he raised his glass.

"The food isn' 'at bad." Cora countered, clinking her glass against his.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that." They dug into plates of beans and rice in a rundown eatery near their hotel. Their flight was leaving that evening and Cora had convinced Wade to come out and enjoy Havana for the last few hours. She had picked this particular place because she knew a band played outside. The meal passed quickly as they made small talk about the other people eating and the people who passed by in the street.

When they finished, she led him outside into the crowd that was listening to the band. Wade settled beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Without thinking, Cora started rocking to the beat, her hips swaying. Most of the crowd was trying to do the same, which caused people to bump and jostle each other constantly.

"Step on my foot again and I'll throw you in the ocean." Wade whispered with a laugh. "You dance worse than my mother." She smirked as she ran her arm up his shoulder and smacked him in the head.

"Maybe I jus' wanna stomp on your big feet instead of actually dancin'." She laughed out, letting her hand linger on his neck a few seconds longer, trailing her fingertips through the ends of his hair.

"Like you could do it if you wanted to." He scoffed. Her smirk turned sly as she grabbed his hand and led him into the circle the people had made around the band. Taking his hand in hers, she started dancing. He looked surprised that she knew the steps, but the shock was replaced by his cocky smirk as he slid his hand from her hip to the curve of her butt.

"Yah frame's slippin' dear." She murmured, giving his shoulder a slight pinch. He pulled it up a few inches until it was resting on the small of her back.

"So when did you learn to dance?" He asked, spinning her around to avoid another dancing couple.

"What d'yah think I did while yah were gone?" Sure, she had explored Havana, following his rule of not leaving the capital. But she met up with the man from the café and danced everyday in the street, learning the steps and combinations better than some of the native Cubans. Wade brought her out of her thoughts when he dipped her low, kissing her neck softly before pulling her up.

"You'll have to thank your teachers for me." He said, smirking as he pulled her close and led her out of the circle.


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I've included our first episode of breaking through the fourth wall. For those of you who don't know what that is, much like myself before I started reading some Deadpool fan fics, let me explain. One special thing about the Deadpool comics was the fact that DP would talk to the reader/writer sometimes, which became known as breaking through the fourth wall. At least that's what I've come to understand. One author on here did a hillarious chapter in this fashion, creating an argument between her and Wade over his appearance after becoming Deadpool. Anyway, I've included my first try at breaking through the fourth wall at the beginning of this chapter. As always, feel free to leave questions, comments, complaints, or plot ideas in a review! Oh, btw, for the beginning, W=Wade, C=Cora, and PC=PuddingCup, my name here. Hope you enjoy!**

W: Hey PC, are you awake?

PC: …

W: PC, wake up! I need to talk to you!

PC: Wade, this really isn't the time. I'm tired and—

W: Oh come on, you do some of your best writing this late!

PC: Wade, it's almost...Three in the morning! I NEED SLEEP!

W: Come on! It'll only take a minute!

PC: *sigh* I doubt that. Okay, what do you want?

W: It's about me and Cora. I've been thinking—

PC: Wade, you're such a horn dog.

W: What? I didn't say anything!

PC: You were thinking it!

W: How do you know?

PC: Wade, I'm writing you…I know everything.

W: *face palm* So…what about it?

PC: What about 'IT' Wade?

W: Well, when are we going to do it?

PC: Who said you were? Cora happens to be a respectable, powerful, young woman and she doesn't need—

W: Oh, blow it out your ass! I saw you click the Romance button for the genre! Now where the hell is the romance?

C:*yawn* What're yah guys yellin' 'bout?

PC: Wade wants to know when you guys are getting frisky.

C: WADE!

W: Ow! Don't you hit me! I can't help it you're a lust factory! I'm a guy, I have needs! Plus, she's been teasing me! She's parading you around in your underwear and nightgowns, which isn't fair! Now answer the question PC!

PC: Just be patient.

W: Be patient. That's all you can say? BE PATIENT!

C: She won' go back on her word, don' worry.

W: How do you know?

C: This is my _second_ story with her Wade, I think I'd know her by now. After all, I asked nearly the same question in our first fic and she told me to be patient too…Sure, it took her fourteen chapters to get there but—

W: FOURTEEN CHAPTERS! ARE YOU FREAKIN' SERIOUS? I can't wait that…hold on, what did you do in chapter fourteen?

C: Night Wade!

W: What did you let her do in chapter fourteen PC?

PC: It doesn't matter. Is this all you wanted to talk about?

W: Well…yeah.

PC: I was right, you are a horn dog!

W: Oh, shut it!

PC: Hey! Watch your mouth before I sew it shut and shave you bald!

W: You wouldn't dare. You like me too much.

PC: *groan* If Ryan Reynolds hadn't played you in the movie, I would be able to argue that point. Now go to bed, and stay out of the other files on my computer!

W: Why? Do you have something hidden in there? What is—

PC: GOOD NIGHT WADE!

_

* * *

_

Best idea ever.

Wade watched as Cora knelt down to pick up a seashell, her bikini-clad backside looking more tempting by the second. He had been given the option of going to Russia or the Hawaiian Islands for his next job, and his decision had been simple: Cora in a parka or Cora in a bikini. The choice had been easy. She scampered back up the beach to him, grinning.

"Yah're undressin' me with your eyes, Sugah."

"Would you rather it be with my hands?" She was still holding out on him, even after several months. It still drove him crazy, but he wasn't willing to let her go over it.

"Maybe some other time." She sat down on the towel beside him, laying the shell on his stomach. "What time are yah leavin' for work?" He looked out over the waves. It made him uneasy, doing a job on such a small island with her with him. He wasn't dealing with an idiot drug dealer like in Cuba; this target actually had a brain and connections.

"Later today, after dark. I might be back before you go to sleep, depending on things." She rolled over on her stomach to look at him. She lazily pressed against the shell, letting her fingers brush against his skin.

"What're yah worried 'bout?" Wade let out a laugh. Couldn't keep a secret from the empath.

"Work. And You." She didn't press the issue, just laid there making it harder for Wade to keep his thoughts PG-13 rated. "God, we should have went to Russia." She looked at him, confused. "I'm gonna need a cold shower." He muttered, causing her to burst out laughing.

* * *

Wade stole down the hallway silently, katanas in hand. Quietly, he opened the doorway to the office and slid inside. A man was standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out over the city below.

"Wade Wilson, I've been expecting you." He said, turning towards him. He didn't seem frightened at all; in fact, he looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.

"How do you know me?" Wade took slow steps forward, not liking the fact that his target knew his name.

"Let's say a little birdie told me. Now, before you kill me, you might want to consider the consequences." Wade froze.

"What are you talking about?" The man smirked, his face smug. He knew he had just gained control of the situation.

"I would hate for that beautiful lady friend of yours to be hurt." The mercenary's jaw clenched as the words sunk in. He knew about Cora. "My deal is as long as I'm alive, she will be fine."

"How do I know you aren't hurting her right now?" The man studied him over his glasses as he thought. Pulling out a cell phone, he pushed a button and laid it on the desk.

"Don't warn her or she'll be dead before the call ends." Before he could say anything, the phone stopped ringing, the sound of her voice amplified by speaker phone.

"Hello?"

"Cora?"

"Wade? I wasn't expectin' to hear from yah so soon." He heard sounds in the background.

"Cor, where are you?"

"I'm at the store near the hotel, pickin' up a few things to fix for a late dinner. Is everything okay?" The man looked pointedly at Wade.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just wanted to check on you since we're in a new place. Don't want you getting into trouble." He heard her laugh softly.

"Don' worry, I'm bein' good." The man pointed at his watch, signaling it was time to end the phone call.

"Alright, just wanted to hear your voice. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, I'll see yah later." Hanging up, Wade glared at the man.

"You shouldn't have brought her into this." The man smiled. He was clearly enjoying the fact that he had found one thing to dangle over the mercenary's head. Before he could answer, his throat was slit.

* * *

Cora stood at the meat counter of the supermarket. Peering through the glass, she tried to decide on what to get for dinner that night. Suddenly, the glass shattered, a gunshot piercing the air. Dropping to the floor, she quickly crawled behind a display case of crackers, glass crunching under her hands and knees. Screams erupted from all over the store, panic ceasing the shoppers as they ran for the exit.

Crouching, Cora sprinted away from her hiding place, another gunshot echoing in the store and causing the contents of a seafood container to explode. Cutting down the cereal aisle, she continued running as her heart pounded. _What the hell is happening?_ Even as a thief, she was rarely shot at.

At the end of the aisle, she turned and headed towards the front of the store. A cash register exploded beside her, causing her to slip and drop to the ground again. Taking a shaky breath, she crawled beneath the counters.

"Where are yah sweetheart?" The man's voice sounded greasy, his emotions nothing more than egotistical and cruel. He was enjoying this game of cat and mouse with an unarmed woman. Hiding behind the edge of the counter, she waited. If she could get her hands on him, he would be sorry. She could hear his footsteps getting closer, an evil laugh scratching his throat. His shadow preceded him slightly when he was a step away.

Springing from her hiding place, she grabbed his arms, forcing as much of her mutation in him as she could. He shuddered for a moment, his twitching fingers squeezing off another round from the pistol before he collapsed to the ground. Turning, Cora took off running towards the exit. Looking back over her shoulder to make sure the man was still down, she slammed into somebody coming in the door. Strong arms wrapped around her, sending a wave of panic through her.

"Le' me go!" she screamed, trying to jerk away.

"Cor! Calm down, it's me! It's Wade!" Hearing his voice, she stopped pulling away. She buried herself in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Come on, we have to go." He said quietly, practically dragging her back out the door.

"What happened?" Her heart was still pounding against her ribs.

"Somebody talked." They hurried into their hotel, the desk workers looking worried at the sight of the blood all over Wade. They quickly made it to their room, Wade forcing her into the bathroom.

"Sit." He said, pointing to the vanity counter. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed a number as he pulled out a first aid kit.

"Felix, we have a problem." He pulled out peroxide and band-aids. "Somebody talked. The target knew I was going to be there." He gently opened up one of Cora's hands as he listened, scanning for any glass. Seeming to be satisfied, he grabbed a wash cloth and whispered, "Bite this."

"Look, at the moment, I don't care who talked. I've got somebody with me and I want us off the island as soon as possible." He put her hand over the sink and poured peroxide over the cuts. Cora let out a muffled scream as he continued talking. "That sounds great. Thanks Felix, I owe you." He laid his phone on the counter as he poured peroxide on her other hand. After another scream, she pulled the cloth out of her gritted teeth.

"Who was that?"

"Felix. The guy who's getting us out of here." He pulled her knees up and poured peroxide on their cuts as well.

"OWWWWWWWWWW!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby." Wade muttered, already covering them in bandages. "Can you cover your hands while I get our bags?"

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

"Yah should teach me." Cora said, staring out the window as the plane they were on pulled away from the island. Felix had been true to his word. A small, private plane had been sitting at the airport waiting for them.

"Hmmm?" Wade was leaned back in his seat, his eyes shut. She could tell he wasn't tired; he was still stressed. Without thinking, she let her hand brush up his blood splattered arm and tousled his hair.

"Teach me how to be like yah, to kick ass and take names." She hadn't liked the feeling of running for her life. She wanted to be able to take care of guys who thought she was an easy target. His eyes opened and he grinned.

"We'll see when we get back on the ground."


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next update peepholes! Hope you like it, things get a bit...steamy? Lol, I don't write lemons or anything, so no worries. ;) I want to give a HUMONGOUS thank you to nekuranekomegami, my only reviewer. YOU ROCK! You're the only reason this story has kept going; without your lovely reviews, I probably would have kissed this story goodbye and kicked it out of cyberspace. I'll be gone to Florida until Sunday, so no writing until then, hope this keeps my readers satisfied for now! :)**

"Colorado?" Wade whined as they stepped off the plane.

"Oh, hush. Yah wanted off the beaten path. I've got my cabin in the middle of nowhere that'll be nice for trainin'. We just have to buy supplies in town, then we'll head out there." Grabbing their suitcases, she led him to the desk. Smiling at the pretty flight attendant, Cora glanced at Wade. She expected his eyes to be glued to the busty blonde, but he was leaning against the desk and watching the people running around the airport. _Good boy._

"Hi, yah should have somethin' for C. Moores." The woman dug through the cabinet, shuffling boxes and packages around until she found the right one. "Oh, and another for W. Wilson. It'll be bigger." She hastily tossed Cora her package before turning to Wade.

"Anything else I can do for you Mr. Wilson?" she asked, her voice laced with lust as she slowly slid the box across the counter. Cora held in laughter; the woman's emotions were so thick, she could practically smell the pheromones coming off of her. Wade glanced at Cora, the smug smirk on his face.

"This is fine sweetheart, I got all I need." They walked away, the woman frowning at his retreating back.

"Yah know, I think she would've come across 'at counter if you stood 'ere much longer." Cora chuckled, opening her box to reveal car keys. Wade laughed, slinging a casual arm over her shoulder.

"Eh, she's not my type." Winding their way through the crowd, she tugged him towards a parking lot.

"So what's your type then?" she asked as they crossed the road.

"Oh, you know: Brunette, a little tan, a southern twang, a hot curvy as—."

"Okay, I think I get it." Cora cut him off, finally spotting what she had been looking for. He continued laughing, wrapping his arm around her as she stopped. "Meet baby number two." She said, popping down the tailgate of a truck. He stepped back to get a better look at the black vehicle. It was an old beater, looking like it didn't have many more miles left.

"Nothin' special. Hope it still runs." He teased, tossing his suitcase into the back as she got in. As soon as he got into the cab, he ripped the package open. Pulling out his katana swords, he smiled. "I hate having to mail these, what if they got lost? I'd probably die on the spot." Cora rolled her eyes at his chatter as she turned the truck on, letting the engine growl to life before pulling out of the airport parking lot.

* * *

Cora grumbled. Wade had wandered off, saying something about cookies. That left her to do the grocery shopping until he came back. Now, she was tempted to climb the shelves like a rock wall because she couldn't reach the top shelf. Lifting herself onto her tiptoes, she stretched to reach a box of cereal. Biting her lip, she felt her fingers brush the cardboard.

"Almost…" she mumbled. A hand slid around her waist, nearly causing her to scream as she whirled around. Wade looked at her, clearly amused.

"Nervous?"

"I'm still rememberin' a certain shoppin' trip." She said, thinking of the man shooting at her in Hawaii. Catching sight of the Oreo cookies in his hand, she snickered. "Who woulda thought, a mercenary with a soft spot for Oreos." He grinned, tossing them in the cart, before grabbing the back of her sweatshirt.

"Also, I saw a little something over here." He lifted her shirt up, revealing part of a tattoo. "Aha! I thought I saw a tat!" He was already pushing the waistband of her jeans down for a better look, causing Cora to yelp.

"We're in public Wade!" He looked up and down their deserted aisle, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, it's really hoppin'. Now let me see it before I rip your clothes off."

"You wouldn'!" She hissed, her eyes wide.

"Try me, I'd love to." He had a devilish glint in his eyes as he grinned. Sighing loudly, Cora slid her jeans down enough to reveal the rest of her tattoo. That damn Queen of Hearts. "The Lucky Lady, huh? There a story behind that?" He asked, getting one final glimpse at the red hearts decorating her skin before dropping her sweatshirt back in place. She continued up the aisle, grabbing a few things as they went. Her silence seemed to signal he should start talking again.

"That bad? What, did you have a few too many margaritas one night with that friend of yours?" Her jaw was set as she shook her head, pushing the cart around to another aisle.

"I don' drink margaritas." She muttered.

"You're going to have to tell me. Otherwise, I'll just bug the hell out of you until you do." Rubbing her hand over her neck, she continued picking out food, knowing he was telling the truth.

"After I broke up with Remy, I sort of got this wild streak in me. I wish I could say I was drunk and 'at's why I got it, but that'd be a lie. I was sober as can be when I walked into that tattoo parlor." They passed another shopper before Wade spoke.

"So why the Queen of Hearts? Girls usually go for the moon and stars thing or a rose or something." She stopped walking, turning to face him.

"Promise you won' get mad?" He nodded. "The Lucky Lady was…It was a nickname he gave me. He said the Queen of Hearts and I were all the luck he needed…" She trailed off, looking at him nervously.

"Looks like his luck ran out." Wade smirked, grabbing another bag of Oreos off a shelf. Letting out a relieved sigh, she leaned up and kissed him. After pulling back, she looked at him closer.

"Do yah feel alright?" He looked at her, brows drawn in confusion.

"Yeah, why?"

"Yah're awful pale." She pressed the back of her hand against his forehead in attempt to detect a fever, looking worried. Swatting her hand, he just laughed.

"Quit acting like a mother, I'm fine."

* * *

"Don't let your wrist roll, otherwise you'll be going to the hospital." Wade said, sparring with Cora. He had insisted on working on hand-to-hand combat, not willing to cut her loose with swords yet. She swung a right hook at him as he was talking, causing him to duck. They were training in an old barn that was neat the cabin, circle the open space in the center. A cool draft blew through the cracks in the wall, but both of them were sweating.

"You're getting better." He muttered, dodging more punches. "Now it's my turn!" He took a quick step forward, swatting a punch out of the way and pulling her into a headlock. Cora pushed him away after he released her, growling angrily. He made it look so easy.

"One more time." She said, settling into a fighting stance. A cocky grin crossed his face as he swiped at her again, narrowly missing. A quick jab to the gut left Wade slightly winded and Cora grinning like a fool.

"You think you're good?" he asked with a laugh. Before she could react, he sprang and tackled her, pinning her to the ground. He had her arms above her head and was straddling her waist, smirking at her. "Feel like déjà vu?" He asked, grinning as he remembered their first lunch. Struggling without any success, she groaned loudly.

"Waaaaaaade, lemmie go." He chuckled softly as he leaned down and kissed her neck.

"I think it's break time." He bit down on the crease between her neck and shoulder, sending a shiver down her frame. "You always do that." He murmured.

"Can' help it." Cora sighed, shutting her eyes. She felt Wade's hand slip under her tank top, his fingertips lightly brushing over her stomach. The contact made her arch her back; it had been a long time since anybody had brought out this behavior in her.

"Somebody likes that too." He chuckled, releasing her hands. He was expecting her to push him off, chastising him for his actions. To his surprise, her arms wound around his neck as she pulled him into another kiss. "What happened to protecting your virtue or whatever the hell it is you've been doing?" he asked as she started pushing his shirt over his head.

"I think I've punished both of us enough." He slid her shirt over her head before speaking.

"How have you been punished? I'm the one going cold turkey for five months!" She laughed as he kissed his way down her chest.

"Wade, I've wanted to have my way with yah since the night we met. This has been just as hard for me as—." His mouth crashed against hers, interrupting her sentence as well as her thoughts.

"About damn time…" Wade muttered with a laugh, pushing her sweats down.

* * *

"I got a question." Wade murmured as he stoked the fire in the fireplace. Seeming pleased, he hopped back in the bed beside Cora.

"Surprise, surprise." She laughed, snuggling against him.

"Why did you wait five months?" She let out a soft sigh, the breath tickling his skin.

"My mutation makes things…difficult with stuff like 'is. If I let ever' attractive and devilishly charmin' guy have his way with me, I'd be bowlegged. I hold out to see if a guy's worth it…if he's interested just for the mutation or if he's in it for me." They laid in silence for a few moments before he spoke.

"You think I'm devilishly charming?" She busted out laughing. She should have expected him to say that.

"No, I gave 'em up. I settled for yah instead." He turned his back on her, pouting in mock anger.

"Settle, my ass. Babe, I'm the best you've ever had." He let out a startled sound when she pushed him over so he was laying on his chest. Only when she settled on his hips and stared rubbing his back did he relax again. They remained in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, the fire crackling loudly.

"So when did you come here?" Wade asked, sighing in pleasure as Cora caused his back to pop. Ever since Cuba, his back had never felt better. _She's better than any professional,_ Wade thought. _Of course, it helps that she's stark naked. _

"About four and half years ago." She dug her fingers into his back.

"Why Colorado? I thought you were a warm weather girl?"

"I am, but I needed a change of scenery. So I opened my atlas, shut my eyes, and pointed. Ended up comin' here and havin' a pretty good time."

"You didn't become a snow bunny, did you?" Cora smirked. Of course, Wade would think of snow bunnies.

"Nah, I tore up the slopes jus' as good as the guys. That was the winter of snowboardin', a broken ankle, a touch of frost bite and way too much Jack Daniels." He turned beneath her, looking up at her.

"You've got to be joking."

"What d'you—?" Before she could finish, he had rolled her off of him and ducked beneath the covers, grabbing at her ankles. Cackling, she pulled her feet up and struggled to roll out of the bed. The air was cold against her bare skin, the fire not warming this far into the room yet. She let Wade grab her ankle as she huddled back beneath the blankets.

"You never told me you broke an ankle. Which one?" His voice came from the foot of the bed.

"Left." She said softly, ducking underneath the covers as well. His brow was furrowed as he compared the ankles in the dim light.

"It doesn't look different from the right." He commented, looking back at her.

"'At was more than four years ago, it healed up a long time ago." Then she felt it. The softest flicker of a secret. She barely felt Wade run his hand from her ankle up her calf. "I don' like secrets." Cora said softly, leaning forward and causing the blanket to tent higher as she moved.

"What do you mean? I'm secret-free." She didn't believe him or his silly grin, another flicker reinforcing her suspicions. Running her hand up his chest, she let lust permeate the air. He practically melted under her touch, leaning back against the bed. Pulling the blanket off their heads, she brushed her fingers over his jaw.

"What're yah hidin' Sugah?" He intertwined their fingers, sighing softly. Looking at the ceiling, he remained silent. "Wade?" He reached out and pulled her into his chest, letting her settle against him before he spoke.

"I'll tell you when the time is right, okay?" Cora didn't like the answer.

"I'll take 'at for now. But yah're gonna tell me." She said, laughing softly against his chest. Seeming to snap out of his daze, he pulled her on top of him, smirking.

"Up for round four, Lucky Lady?"

**Expecting steamier? Go to an M rated story. Lol. Hope you enjoyed, leave me a review with questions, comments, complaints or plot ideas if you have a spare moment! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! First off, I'm sorry it's been a while since my last update. I've been busy with a trip to Orlando, moving into my dorm, and starting classes since last chapter. I've had a little bit of time to write, but my muse seemed to have ran off and hid. Not to worry, it's back (sort of) and I have another chapter for you! Thank you for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! My email inbox exploded one day (courtesy of ThisSideorTheOther mainly) and I loved it! Haha :) Anyway, just a warning: For the few french phrases I threw in, I used Google translate. I'm sorry if it butchered the beautiful language, but I only learned Spanish in high school. Hope you enjoy this new update!**

**P.S.- Idk if I ever did the disclaimer thing...so...I don't own anything X-Men except Cora. This goes for the whole story. **

Cora pulled the blanket tighter around herself as she sat on the couch watching the snow fall. If she and Wade didn't leave soon, they would be snowed in for the winter season. Not that she had a problem with that, but she knew he would get stir crazy being in one place that long. Stretching her back, she could feel the consequences of a wipeout on the slopes earlier that day.

Hearing the front door open and close, she turned her gaze towards the hallway. Wade was shaking snow out of his hair as he hung his coat up. Cora noticed a manila envelope in his hand as he headed towards the kitchen. _Maybe we're getting out of here after all._ Silently, Cora got off the couch and padded into the kitchen. Wade was sitting at the table with his back facing her, flipping through papers.

"Where we goin' next?" He stiffened slightly at her voice, his emotions giving a buzz to the air. Focusing, she tasted the bitter tang of nervousness and stubbornness.

"I was thinking you could sit this one out." A thick silence filled the room.

"What're yah sayin' exactly?" Cora tried to keep her voice calm. He kept his back towards her as he sat.

"I think it's best you stay here for this one. I'll only be gone a couple of weeks." _Stay calm, keep your temper in check._

"Why?"

"It won't be safe; I don't want you getting hurt—"

"'At's not fair!" Cora's voice rose slightly. "I can take care of myself." Wade finally turned to look at her. He had a defiant scowl on his face.

"I don't want to take a chance." She threw her hands up angrily as she let her temper get the best of her.

"Yah can' be serious! Since when are yah cautious?"

"Since I almost got you killed!" He yelled back, getting out of his seat.

"'At was an accident! Yah can' protect me from everything Wade!" They were toe-to-toe as they became silent again. Cora's glare looked as if it would burn a hole through Wade any second. It was all she could do to control her mutation and not make him collapse on the spot.

"But I can protect you from the garbage I deal with!" His voice was quieter as he spoke, never breaking eye contact with Cora.

"I'm not a damsel in distress! I wan'ta help yah!" Clenching her fist, she resisted the urge to slug him in the face as he shook his head. "Yah know, I did all this trainin' to be a merc WITH yah, not to sit at home and wait for yah." She spat out, crossing her arms angrily. His jaw clenched before he spoke.

"I'm leaving tonight. I'll see you when I get back." He stepped around her, heading towards the bedroom to pack. Cora wasn't finished though.

"And what if I don' play the good girl and sit here and wait?" She yelled at his back. This made him stop and turn to face her.

"Then that's it." Seeing the look of shock on her face, he continued. "Cor, with my job, I can't leave trails. If we part ways, I'm gone." She glared at him before storming out of the kitchen.

"Have a good flight dumbass!" She yelled angrily before slamming the front door.

_

* * *

_

What the hell is his problem? I don't see why I can't go with him. He treats me like I'm made of glass or something. And then he throws out the 'If you don't wait for me, we're through' line.

Cora's chest tightened slightly as she slogged through the snow. She told herself the wind was making her eyes water, not the stupid fight. As scary as it was to admit it, she had become attached to Wade. Dropping down on a rock, she stared out into the falling snow again. Her clothes were soaked from her trek in the snow, the wind making her body frigid. Trembling, she wrapped her arms around herself and sighed loudly.

All the fire and anger she had felt minutes ago seemed to have leeched out of her. Getting out of the confines of the house and away from scene of their own erratic emotions made her feel zapped, like her own emotions were nothing more than a blip on the radar.

Cora sat on that ice cold rock until after dark, shivering and going over the fight in her mind. Finally, unable to sit any longer, she slowly trudged back to the cabin. The lights were on and a freshly stoked fire was heating the room, but Wade was gone.

_

* * *

_

She won't be there when I go back.

Wade tried to push the thought out of his mind again as he tied his tie. He wasn't a fan of black tie events, but he was scouting out his next target tonight.

_She won't be there… _This wasn't his fault. He was doing what was best for her; she was just being stubborn.

_She won't—_

"DAMN!" he shouted, smashing his fist against the dresser of his hotel room, causing the wood to crack slightly. He never felt like this after a spat with a girl. Usually, he just dumped them on their ass and looked for something better. Cora though, he couldn't shake her out of his mind. Though he hated to admit it, she had him wrapped around her finger. Taking a deep breath, he pulled on his jacket.

"Focus on work." He told his reflection, trying to convince his mind to stay on task. With a final look in the mirror, he headed out the door.

After a quick walk, he arrived at the party. He easily made his way through security and let the crowd buffet him around the decorated hall. What was it with the big wigs always throwing stupid parties? He couldn't help but be reminded of the night Cora found out he was a mercenary as he sat down.

_She won't be there when I go back_.

He sighed as he watched expensive tuxes navigate the room, dainty women clinging to their arms. Scanning the room, a flash of red caught his eye. Near the door, a woman was strolling in, her red gown attracting attention as she moved. Her tanned back was turned towards him, the backless dress drawing his attention down to her curved backside. Brunette hair brushed her shoulders as she moved, a familiar laugh filling the air.

_Wait…_

Wade got out of his seat, his stomach clenched as he felt the familiar shift in the air.

_Cora. _

On one hand, he was irritated that she had followed him, even when he said he didn't want her to. On the other, he was ecstatic that she was still with him, looking even more sinfully tempting than usual. Sliding his hand to the small of her bare back, he whispered close to her ear.

"And what might you be doing here?" She turned, not looking the least bit surprised. She claimed she could pick him out of a crowd by his emotions before, saying they felt different.

"Trackin' down a dumbass mercenary, have yah seen him?" she whispered back, a small grin curling the corners of her mouth. Wade chuckled softly; he should have expected her to act like this. A smug twinkle dotted her eyes as she waited for him to answer.

"Last I checked, he was pulling his head out of his ass and trying to think of an apology." She wrapped her arm around his, letting him lead her back to the table he had been sitting at.

"Tell 'im I'd rather have trust than an apology." He nodded, getting ready to ask her how she found him when a man walked up. He recognized him immediately as his target and it seemed Cora did too. _How much did she know about this mission?_

Looking over at her, she had put on a pair of doe eyes and an innocent smile as he took her hand and pressed his lips against it.

"My dear, you look absolutely stunning. I dare say, you simply are the most beautiful woman here tonight." She looked down in mock embarrassment before laughing softly.

"Merci monsieur." Her southern twang was still there, but she managed to hide nearly all of it. The target's face lit up, Wade barely hiding the smile threatening his lips. The man was a sucker for French women and Cora was playing him well.

"Could it be? A true woman of Paris?" She laughed a soft feminine laugh before speaking.

"Si vous voulez que je sois." _If you want me to be._ Damn, she was good. Wade could see the target practically melting in her hands.

Grinning, the man leaned closer to Cora and whispered something in her ear. When she laughed, it sounded fake to Wade, but he knew anybody else would buy it. The target helped her out of her seat and began to lead her away when she stopped. Holding up a painted finger, he heard her say "Un seconde ma chère." Coming back to the table, she swiped her clutch purse, which Wade suspected she left on purpose, off the table and whispered to him.

"See yah upstairs Sugah." With a wink, she turned and let the target lead her through the crowd towards the staircase.

"Looks like we're in business." Wade said quietly, weaving his way through the crowd. Climbing the stairs, he turned down a silent hallway. He didn't hear anything through the doors, so he continued down the hallway and turned the corner. Spotting Cora sitting in the floor by a door, he strolled over. Her legs were stretched out, the slit in her dress giving him a delicious view of thigh.

"Where's your friend?" he asked, leaning against the wall beside her.

"Unconscious in bed. He's all yahrs." She smiled softly at him as she spoke. Opening the door, he heard the target starting to stir. After closing the door, he got down to business. He didn't have his swords with him, so he had to improvise. He had never been a fan of asphyxiation; it was slow and there was always a struggle.

When he came out of the room, Cora was waiting for him. He was already pulling her down the hall when she stopped him.

"Yah look a mess, le' me straighten yah up." She murmured, smoothing out his tie and readjusting his jacket. As she worked, he had to ask.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why'd you come after me?" She was silent for a moment before looking up at him.

"I'm jus' as stubborn as yah. Plus, I really wanted an apology." She had that feline smirk on her mouth, causing Wade to laugh.

**Oh, a lover's quarrel. I was hoping for more anger out of it, but Cora is more of a 'run from your problems' kind of girl (she proved that in Seductress), so that was the best I could give. If you have any questions, comments, complaints, or chapter ideas, please click that cute little review button and let me have'em! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, I feel like I haven't been here in forever. Sorry for the wait guys, I hate it I didn't pump this one out as fast as usual. Anyway, I just want to thank everybody for reviews, alerts, and subscriptions; not only for this fic, but Seductress and Drifting Through. As usual, feel free to leave a review with questions, comments, complaints, or chapter ideas! Hope you enjoy!**

"Like 'is?" she asked uncertainly. Wade grinned as he watched her slice and jab his back-up pair of swords through a combo he had taught her.

"Yeah, that's right. Now—" He was cut off by the phone ringing. Laying his swords down, he answered. He was silent, a smirk sliding on his face as he listened. "Yeah, sounds great Felix. Send me the details; I'm sure we'll enjoy this one."

"More work?" Cora asked, still practicing with the swords.

"Yeah, we're going to Lebanon."

"Cool, I'll get to try out my new moves 'ere." She sliced the air before turning towards him.

"You won't need those this time." Wade said, trying to stifle his laughter.

She looked at him, unable to hide her confusion as she asked, "Then what do I need?" He sauntered towards her, circling like a hawk.

"Well, you'll need this…" He ran his hand down to her backside. "And these…" he stopped in front of her and rested his hands on her hips. "And these." His hands started trailing upwards and Cora stopped him, knowing where they headed.

"It ain't like I can leave those at home. Now seriously, wha' do I need?" The wicked grin on his face said it all. Sighing in mock exasperation, she rolled her eyes. "What did yah sign us up for 'is time?"

He looked up at the ceiling, pretending to think before asking, "How much do you know about belly dancing?" Cora gaped at him; whatever she had been thinking, she hadn't been expecting that.

"Are yah serious?"

"Yeah, you've got four days to prepare before we fly out. If you need an audience to practice on, I'm more than willing to sacrifice my time." She snorted as she sheathed her swords and headed towards the door. "Hey! Where are you going?" He called after her.

"I have to learn how to dance sexy!" she hollered back at him.

* * *

"You passing a hemorrhoid or something?" Wade asked, padding into the bedroom. Cora groaned again, massaging her stomach and hips.

"They hurt!" she whined, frowning at the ceiling.

"I know what'll make them feel better." He said, smirking as he flipped the lights off.

"Not now Wade. I feel like a bus ran ova' my ass." Sliding into bed beside her, he pulled her close against his chest.

"Does your butt and stomach really hurt that bad?"

"If I say yes, can we go on a vacation after 'is job?" He laughed as she turned to face him.

"Can't make any promises dollface." She grinned as her eyes slid shut. They lay in silence for a few moments before Cora broke it.

"Wade?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

"I don' like secrets." He opened his eyes and saw her looking back at him. She had said that to him about three times a week for a month and a half, trying to weed out the secret he was keeping from her.

"I know you don't; you've told me about fifteen times that I remember." He heard her sigh softly, her chest rising and falling softly in the dim light.

"It's really been buggin' yah lately." She commented, her fingertips leaving red-hot trails over her chest. She wasn't using her mutation against him yet, but her touch still drove him crazy.

"I know." Wade hoped she would drop it like she usually did, but she didn't.

"Why not just tell me."

"It's not the right time. Gotta keep the world balanced, otherwise our karma'll come back to bite us." He yawned out.

"Whatever." She murmured, burrowing further into the blankets, falling asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

Wade leaned against a wall and watched the crowd as he waited. He heard the door creak open and turned.

"Damn Cor…" he trailed off, looking her up and down. The exotic belly dancer outfit looked good on her.

"Eyes up 'ere Slick." She laughed, motioning for him to look at her face instead of her bare stomach or exposed legs. He stepped in the doorway, running his hands over her sides and up her back.

"I like this look." He murmured before catching her lips with his own. She let the kiss last as long as possible before finally pulling away.

"I go on in a few minutes." She reminded him. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out an earpiece and a tiny microphone.

"I'll let you know when I see him, then you just keep him busy until I can get there." Somebody yelled from within the building, causing Cora to grin.

"'At's my cue, yah better get in yahr spot." With a final smirk, he left her and headed down the street. He had found a building that had a perfect view of the courtyard from the third story window the day before. The plan was for Cora to dance and draw their target in, then Wade would take care of the rest.

Climbing the stairs quickly, he could hear music from below. He was running a minute or so behind. Bursting into the tiny room, he settled down beside the window and pulled his binoculars up to his eyes. The area was filled with men, mainly soldiers, and several women serving drinks. A few dancers were already on stage, warming the crowd up. Suddenly, half a dozen more dancers flew out from behind the curtain. Wade instantly recognized his seductress and chuckled softly as he saw the crowd visibly shift.

"That's it, work the crowd babe. He'll turn up soon" Wade said into his radio, scanning the area near the stage. He caught his eyes lingering on Cora's popping pelvis and sighed as he shook his head. No doubt, he was getting an ungodly amount of lust, courtesy of Cora.

"Enjoyin' the show?" her voice whispered through his earpiece, intentionally shaking extra in his direction. She must have heard him sigh. Wade smirked, thinking how he would have to get more jobs like this. Watching her belly dance was a fine sight. He would have to thank Felix for this one.

"You'll have to do a private show for me after we're done working, then I'll tell you." He heard her tinkling laughter in his ear as he scanned the area again. "Bingo! Found our man. White shirt, black pants, black hat. Approaching from the east entrance. Keep him busy, I'm on my way down." Wade said quickly, grabbing his swords and walking briskly out of the room.

* * *

"Keep him busy, I'm on my way down." Wade's voice filled her ear as she spotted their target. He was a fairly young guy, his jet black hair sharply contrasting with his white shirt. Shimmying and popping her way around the courtyard, she stopped him before he could walk out onto the street. His bodyguards became somewhat defensive, but he brushed them off. Settling down into a chair, he watched her with an appreciative smile on his face.

"Still have him?" Wade asked. Turning her back, she mumbled a "Yes" before spinning back around, causing the longer portions of her skirt to flair out.

"Is he alone?" "No." she breathed out, dipping back towards the target as she continued shaking her hips. She heard Wade swear before he fell silent again.

_Looks like I'll have to help things along, _she thought. From her reclined position, she brought her arms up, moving them around like waves before playfully pinching his chin. His emotions showed he liked it, that he wanted more. As the song ended, she grinned and crooked her finger in a 'come here' motion before disappearing behind the curtain.

"Wade, where do yah want him?" Cora asked quickly.

"Wherever we can get him at this point, just be careful." Seconds later, the man and his bodyguards appeared backstage. She suddenly felt dwarfed by the huge presence of the men on either side of the target.

"You are a fine dancer." He said, surveying her again.

"Thank you."

"Perhaps you would do a private show?" Cora couldn't help but think of Wade and his laughter earlier. Forcing those thoughts aside, she pretended to debate her decision.

"Perhaps a more private place?" she asked in a forced accent. He grinned and pulled his wallet out, taking a small card from its depths.

"Be at that address in an hour." Before she could answer, he turned and he and his goons left. When the door shut behind them, she ran and grabbed her bag.

"Wade? Can yah hear me?"

"Why weren't you with him?" he asked, his voice somewhat disappointed. He must be watching the door.

"He gave me an address t'go to. We need to be 'ere in an hour."

"That's my girl." She could hear the grin in his voice. Putting on a jacket that hit below her knee, she hurried out into the street.

"Where are yah?"

"Right behind you." Whipping around in surprise, she nearly slapped the smirk off his face.

"Don' sneak up on me creep." He laughed at her irritation as he pulled the card from her grasp.

"I think it's time for a drive sweetheart; let's grab a car."


	11. Chapter 11

Wade stopped the car a few blocks away from the house…well, mansion would be more accurate. Cora rolled her window down and let the warm breeze blow through her hair and over her skin as they sat silently.

"Ready to go babe?" he asked, looking across the vehicle expectantly at her.

"I don' have a good feelin' 'bout this…" she said softly, eyeing the building suspiciously. Something wasn't right about this.

"Hey," he said, catching her chin between two fingers and turning her face to look at him. "Nothing's going to go wrong." He seemed so confident, yet Cora couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her stomach. After quickly brushing his fingers over jaw, he stepped out of the car. Sighing, she did the same.

"Just knock him out and I'll be in to finish things up. Don't want any blood being spilt on you, gorgeous." Rolling her eyes, she allowed herself to laugh.

"Ah, just who I was thinking about." The target said as she was led into a regal living room. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander over the luxury of the room. The smuggling business was treating this man well. He granted her a few moments of silence before speaking again. "How about that private show?" Glancing at the bodyguards standing in the doorway, she looked back at him with a slight pout.

"Could we have some more privacy?" He seemed hesitant, so she leaned in closer and whispered in his ear.

"Some of the things I want to do to you shouldn't have an audience." She slid a seductive smile on her face and upped the lust in the room. He grinned before motioning the guards out of the room and grabbing a remote. Pushing a button, music came on. Slow and sensual, the kind of music guys put on to try and bed a woman they just met.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she rocked and made a slow circle around the man.

_This is too easy._

Cora slid her hand slowly over the man's shoulder, preparing to subdue him. Suddenly, something hit her. Hard. Tumbling to the floor, she let out a startled yell. Turning she saw one of the bodyguards. The target was now standing, looking down with a smug grin. _That son of a—_. Just as she focused all the lust-filled energy on the man, he spoke.

"You shouldn't do that sweetheart."

"Like hell I shouldn'." She spit back at him, abandoning her phony accent. With a snap of his fingers, Cora saw why she shouldn't. Two more guards the size of industrial freezers were flanking a struggling Wade.

_Hey, nothing's going to go wrong._ His words echoed in her head. How wrong he was.

"Do anything with that delicious mutation of yours and he'll have a bullet through his skull before I hit the ground." Cora swallowed, trying to think of a plan.

"Cora, just do it." Wade yelled before the third guard swung a boulder sized fist into his stomach.

"Shut it!" he hissed at Wade. The mercenary just couldn't keep his mouth shut though.

"Why? Worried she'll bring you to your knees?" Another blow, this time to the face answered him. The room fell silent for a moment as the target sat back down in his easy chair.

"My dear, I simply need a few answers from you, then you can continue on your way." He said, giving Cora a greasy, disgusting smile as he did. Nodding, Cora wasn't paying attention; she was looking. "First, how did you meet this irritating man?" He asked, motioning to Wade. She couldn't help but laugh.

"I picked 'im up in a bar." Needing to buy herself more time, she continued. "I made a bet with 'im in pool. If he won, I'd sleep with 'im; if I won, he'd give me a hundred bucks."

"And who won?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. She couldn't figure out why he was so interested, but she continued.

"I did. But I wasn' quite ready to cut him loose yet. We've been togetha ever since." He looked at her for a few moments, as if he were debating whether she was telling the truth.

"How did yah know 'bout us?" She asked, genuinely concerned about the problem. According to Wade, breaches in confidence weren't that common. He had a tight knit network of a few people and trusted them; it looked as if somebody was playing him dirty.

"I have my sources." He said simply, leaning back in his chair.

_This is it. _

Focusing, one of the men holding Wade dropped to the ground as she bounded forward and jumped on another's back. Wrapping her arms around his thick neck, she heard Wade elbow the third in the face as a sickening crunch punctuated the air. Cora tightened her grip, causing the man to stagger around.

A few gunshots filled the room, but she didn't get the chance to look at the outcome. At that moment, the body guard rammed into the wall backwards, squashing her in the process. With a groan, she dropped to the floor. Forcing herself to focus, she made the man drop to the floor before slamming her fist into his face. Another gunshot filled the air and Cora flopped onto the ground, her bicep searing with pain.

"I told you to behave." The target said, his voice cold and dangerous. He walked over to where she lay in the floor and aimed the pistol at her head.

"_What happens if I'm on the ground and yah aren' 'round?" Cora asked, looking up at Wade. _

"_I won't leave you alone on the job." _

"_But I want to be prepared for the worst, jus' in case…" Shaking his head, he lay down on the practice mat and motioned for her to come over. _

"_Your best bet is to use your mutation. But if that isn't working for whatever reason, you just—"_

Cora swung her leg out and caught the target in the shins. Surprised, he dropped the gun in the floor and landed with a loud 'thump!' Despite the scream of pain in her upper arm, she clenched them around his throat like a snake. He struggled, but she wrapped her legs around his and rolled slightly, immobilizing him completely. He let out a few choked sounds before falling limp.

Her first kill as a mercenary.

Looking around the room, she saw a motionless Wade lying in the floor. "Wade!" she nearly screamed, hurrying to his side. He had been shot, twice in the chest and a graze on his shoulder from the looks of it.

Cora struggled to think of what to do when she heard sirens off in the distance. Panicking slightly, she fought to get Wade to his feet. He let out a weak, pained groan as she drug him out into the garage.

"Hold on Wade…" she said softly, laying him in the backseat of an SUV as she got into the driver's seat. "Jus' hold on."

_Damn, I'm sore._

Trying to sit up, Wade had a bolt of pain shoot through his body. Something tightened around his chest, causing him to open his eyes.

_How was I sleeping?_

The sound of metal scraping against metal was the main noise assaulting his ears, along with the bleating of goats and boxes shifting around. It took a few moments before he realized he was in a train car. Looking down, he realized what had tightened around him earlier. Two familiar looking arms were pressed against his bare chest, bloody rags pressed against…gunshot wounds?

_That ass shot me!_

Turning slightly, he looked at Cora. She was leaning against the wall of the train car, still in the belly dancer outfit. Her front was covered in blood, all of it in various stages of freshness. She had him sitting in between her legs, reclined against her chest. Her eyes were shut, soft snores indicating she was asleep. Struggling to sit up, the arms clenched around him again.

"Don' get up." She said groggily. "Yah'll start bleedin' again." She looked like hell. Dark smudges encircled her bloodshot eyes. Flecks of blood had made their way onto her face and hair, which was in an unkempt mess. "We can' risk yah losin' even more blood." Wade spotted the hole in her arm.

"He shot you?" he asked, ignoring her as he painfully pivoted to face her.

"It doesn' matter." She sleepily waved him off.

"Right." He rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his words. Getting unsteadily to her feet, she peeked out the small, barred window into the dim landscape.

"It's nearly our stop. I'm takin' yah to a hospital." Wade was already shaking his head.

"I don't do hospitals. You can go, but I'm not." She whirled around, catching him by surprise.

"For once, don' be a stubborn ass! Yah're goin' to the hospital!" She shouted, her eyes brimming with tears. He had never seen her so edgy. "Please," she said softly, sinking down to her knees beside him. "Jus' go and get stitched up. For me." Hearing her beg and looking as scared as she did felt like a stake to Wade's heart. They had been together for about a year and three months and he had never seen this side of her. Even when night terrors plagued her, she wasn't this bad.

"Okay. I'll go." He murmured as he pulled her closer to him with his good shoulder.

"I'm going to call Felix and arrange a flight home after you're done." Wade said, already pulling off the sling they had given him. They had taken him in right away since he had been shot in the chest, though his wounds had been surprisingly minimal. The bullets went all the way through and managed to miss anything major. Cora had been dubbed 'less critical' when they came in, so she was waiting patiently with a makeshift bandage on her arm.

"I don' think yah should do 'at." She said softly, keeping her voice low as a group of doctors rushed past.

"Why?"

"Did yah ever consider that Felix might be sellin' yah out?" They sat in a stony silence. Felix had been with Wade since the beginning, referring clients to him even when he was a rookie. He quite literally trusted him with his life on every mission he went on.

"Maybe it's somebody else?" he asked.

"I think we should lay low until we figure it out though…" she trailed off as a nurse came up to them.

"Cora Moores?" she asked cheerfully. Answering with a nod, she got slowly to her feet. She had managed to change clothes on the train, swapping the belly dancer outfit for jeans and a t-shirt.

"We're going to do a few scans on your arm before we sew anything up to make sure there isn't any internal damage. If you'll come this way, we can do the x-ray first." The woman was being horribly peppy, even at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Wade watched the women's retreating backs until they disappeared behind a set of double doors. As soon as the doors closed, a man took Cora's seat.

"Wade Wilson?" he asked, giving him an unsettling smile.

"Who's asking?" Wade asked, his voice sharper than usual. He was tired, hungry, dirty, and in need of some serious painkillers.

"I'm Colonel William Stryker, I work for the government." Government people made Wade nervous. You could never be sure if they were hiring you or trying to land you in a high security cell block.

"I've come to offer you a place on my special team."

"What kind of team?"

"Your kind of team." He said, his grin still in place. "I'm willing to offer you several things if you join. Special privileges, a chance to travel the world, and a sizable pay check."

"I already got that." Wade muttered, rubbing his temples.

"I could offer you more secure employment. The girl was right when she said somebody is selling you out."

"And how would you know that?" Wade asked in frustration. This guy knew too much to be a complete stranger.

"I have sources." A flashback of the brief fight at the mansion erupted in Wade's mind. Their target had used the same exact phrase.

"Can she come with me?" he asked, looking towards the double doors again. The man shook his head, though he still smiled the same irritating smile.

"There isn't a spot on this team for her. Only you Wade. She's welcome to come to my facility, but she won't be doing the same job as you." He didn't like the sound of that. If he was going anywhere with this guy, he wanted Cora by his side. Just as he was about to refuse, Stryker spoke again.

"I can offer you a cure." Wade felt himself nearly stop breathing. This Stryker guy even knew about his cancer. Only one doctor and himself knew that; how did he find out?

"They say there isn't much of a chance for me to find one. How do I know you're telling the truth?" Stryker leaned back in his seat ever-so-slightly and a sick sort of sparkle filled his eye.

"I have access to many variations of genes, Wade. One particular set will cure your cancer." They sat in silence for a few moments before Stryker handed him a card. "That's my number. Call me when you want to live." Before he could respond, the Colonel had stood up and strode out of the waiting room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow...it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry for the wait, this particular chapter was kind of hard to write. Plus, my muse totally left me this week. Not just for this story, but all of my writing. I was terrified to say the least. Lol. It came back this evening though, so no worries. Anyway, down to serious business. 1.) How Cora Met Wade is almost over. I didn't realize that until I wrote this chapter actually. In a way, I'm relieved (I feel like I've screwed up Wade's character), but that also means I'll be completely done with the Seductress storyline, which is...sad. 2.) This chapter is unusually emotional, which bugged me slightly. 3.) I had to slide in a Ryan Reynolds reference in here, and yes, my opinion is that he should do the Deadpool movie. Lol. 4.) The breaking through the fourth wall section at the end came to me sometime between fully falling asleep and laying awake in bed the other night. I think Wade was irritated with my writer's block and decided to annoy me. HAHAHAHAHAHA! **

* * *

"You taste like…cookies." Wade murmured, kissing the crease between her neck and shoulder and smirking at the shiver that shot down her spine. A chuckle rumbled in her chest as she snuggled back into his chest.

"I do not." He laughed, looping an arm around her waist.

"How would you know? I haven't seen you sucking on your own neck lately." Erupting into a fit of laughter, Cora rolled over to face him.

"Yah know who yah remind me of?" she asked after a few moments.

"Who?"

"'At guy who was in 'at movie with Sandra Bullock. What was his name?" He laughed as she bit her lip in concentration. "Damn, I can' remember. Ryan somethin'? I don' know. I heard he's tryin' to decide between some zombie cop movie and bein' some super crazy hero-villain in a movie." Stretching his back out, he stretched his arms behind his head.

"He should definitely go with the crazy movie. Zombie cops are just lame. Plus, if he looks like me, he should parade his good looks around!" Seconds later, a pillow slammed into his face.

"What was that for?" he asked in an exasperated voice.

"Jus' rewardin' yah for yah modesty." She drawled, giving him a sweet grin.

The rain continued to fall outside their London hotel room, the storm clouds rumbling ominously. If it kept this up, their flight the next day would probably be delayed or cancelled. Not that they minded; they had proved that they could entertain themselves on a rainy day. After the initial shock of being hit, Wade grabbed Cora and pulled her back down beside him.

"Hey, Cor?" he asked. Her eyes had slid shut and she was lazily trailing her fingers over his bare chest.

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe in fate?" Her eyes opened as she studied him for a moment.

"Why the sudden in'trest in philosophy?" Wade shrugged.

"Just curious. You know me, wanting to know everything." Sighing softly, she thought for a few moments.

"I believe we're given opportunities. It's up to us to act on 'em. Our choices 'n actions decide what happens in our lives. Like 'at night in the bar," she said, grinning up at him. "I was given the opportunity to steal yah away. Of course, 'ere's the occasional glitch in the system, which I guess we could call fate or destiny."

They sat in silence for a moment, Cora tasting Wade's emotions. They were quite a cocktail at the moment: A shot of irritation, a healthy dose of lust, a dash of fear, and a secret to garnish it all.

"I have cancer." He said suddenly. Cora froze. _I must have heard him wrong, there's no way he said that._

"What?" He kept his eyes glued to the window, never looking at her reaction.

"I have cancer." She sat up, lightly grabbing his chin in her hands and forcing him to look at her.

"Yah better not be jokin'. If yah are, this ain't funny." Shaking his head, she took his hand in hers.

"Oh Wade…how long have yah known?" He ran his hand through his hair.

"That's the secret I've been keeping…so for a long time." A part of her wanted to yell at him for not saying anything sooner, but she just squeezed his hand.

"Do yah have a plan? I mean, people get cured of cancer all the time; all we have to do is talk to a doctor and figure out our options, right?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes. What if he said no? What if he told her he was a dead man?

"I met this guy called Stryker while we were at the hospital. He said he could cure me if I came and worked for him." He chanced a glance at Cora, fearing he would have to handle a crying female. She was looking at him with soft eyes, a frown tugging at her lips.

"What?"

"'At name…_Stryker_…it sounds really familiar. I know I've heard it b'fore, I just can'…But 'at doesn' matter right now. If he can help yah, we need to do what he says." Wade forced a smile on his face. He didn't have the heart to tell her that meant leaving her for an unknown amount of time.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about it." A silence settled over the two of them for a few moments before he spoke again, his voice upbeat and oh-so-Wade. "I was also thinking, since we're heading back to the U.S., why don't you introduce me to your friends?" He grinned when a happy smile spread across her face, glad to distract her for a little bit longer.

* * *

"CORA!" The southerner was nearly knocked on her back as her white haired friend came bowling through the open door.

"RO!" she squealed back, hugging her friend after she steadied herself. It had been far too long; they hadn't seen each other since the night she went chasing after Wade. Students were stopping in the hallway, surprised to see their teacher acting so crazy.

"I'm so glad you came!" Storm gushed, pulling away to get a better look at her. After a few moments, her gaze slid over Cora's shoulder.

"Oh my God…" the weather witch murmured. Wade was leaning against the doorframe, his eyes laughing and his boyish grin in place. He looked as tempting as always.

"Ro, this is Wade. Wade, this is my best friend Ororo." For a moment, she seemed too stunned to say anything. Gaping, she turned back to Cora and whispered frantically.

"He's the killer?" Wade doubled over in a fit of laughter, clearly enjoying the reaction. Turning, Cora shot him a look that said 'Shut the hell up for two seconds please, you're not helping things!' Forcing a smile on her face, she turned back to face Ororo.

"Is 'at a problem?" she asked uncertainly. Storm's eyes were surveying Wade, who was barely managing to hold in his laughter.

"You never told me he was so…attractive."

"Nice to see somebody enjoys my devilishly good looks." Wade chimed in.

"Oh be quiet, I appreciate yahr looks _all_ the time." Cora said, waving her hand dismissively. Ororo just grinned at the two of them.

"Let's go say hi to the gang!" she said happily, grabbing Cora's arm and leading her along as Wade followed.

* * *

W: PC! WHERE ARE YOU?

PC: Wade, for Pete's sake, stop yelling! I'm trying to sleep!

W: I got a bone to pick with you.

PC: Why am I not surprised?

W: So, I saw you type that little author's note that said this story was almost over.

PC: Yeah…so? You all had two years together. I've highlighted a few action-filled trips and steamy snippets. Two years are almost up.

W: About that, I was thinking—

PC: Dear Lord, help us.

W: Oh, shut up. Anyway, like I was saying, I was thinking, why don't you go all awesome-writer on this story and use your creative license to change some things?

PC: What are you talking about?

W: I thought you knew everything since you were writing me?

PC: *eye roll* We have an audience Wade. I have to keep the dialogue flowing.

W: *groan* _Writers. _Why don't you change…stuff?

PC: More specific please.

W: Fine. I want you to change the ending. Who says we should only get two years together? Tell that Remy guy to suck my—

PC: WADE! That was almost uncalled for. And I can't change it, you know that.

W: Who cares if this is a companion story? Just use creative license and let me stay!

PC: *shakes head* What have I done to you Wade?

W: You made me love her, that's what…

*Silence*

PC: I'm sorry. If I could change it…I would.

W: Yeah, but what if Remy came and started whining to you?

PC: He wouldn't. He's not as stubborn as you…plus, he can't break the fourth wall like you.

W: What a loser!

PC: He's a nice guy, you should try meeting him sometime.

W: Hell no.

PC: Alright, it was just a suggestion. Anything else you wanted to talk about?

W: Can you send me out so I don't look like a complete douche bag?

PC: *grins* I'll try my best.

W: Thanks PC. I'll catch you later.

PC: Later Wade.

**Feel free to leave a review with questions, comments, complaints, etc.!**


	13. Chapter 13

**So, instead of being able to work on my next chapter for my Green Mile story, this little comedic bit sprouted in my mind and, needless to say, drew my attention from a much needed update. ;) This is mainly just corny joking and what not, nothing super plotastic. Just thought you might enjoy it. Oh, and btw, ThisSideorTheOther! I think I've come up with an idea for a 'last hurrah' if you will, so this story might be a bit longer now. :) Thanks to those of you who reviewed, you are rock stars and deserve some cupcakes or something! Lol**

"Well, look who it is!" Another female greeted Cora and Wade as Ororo led them down the hallway.

"Hey Red!" The southerner greeted the redhead with a hug before introductions.

"Jean, Wade. Wade, Jean." She said simply, pointing back and forth between the two. "Where's Scooter?" she asked with a grin. Smirking, Jean pointed a thumb behind her.

"Scott's in the rec. room, trying to keep the kids from getting too out of hand."

"Like us?" Cora asked with a laugh.

"Exactly." Jean said, leading the way towards the room.

"Not a very thorough intro, you're slacking." Wade said, throwing his arm over Cora's shoulder casually.

"Jean's a telepath, she already knows more 'an enough 'bout yah."

"She read my mind? That's not fair!" Wade pouted.

"Nah, she read mine. She's all ethical and asks fer permission and stuff first." By then, they had walked into chaos. The rec. room was filled with students of all ages doing everything under the sun.

"Hey, don't throw that!" a voice shouted from the masses.

"'At's Scooter. He's a bit of a wet blanket when it comes to fun." Cora said, pointing to a brown haired man with red tinted sunglasses chasing after a few pre-teens.

"How'd he get involved with you girls then? You all sound like you're a bit on the crazy side."

"Love conquers all!" Ororo crooned dramatically. Laughing, Cora explained.

"Jean n' Scott have dated…forever. So, naturally, he tagged along a lot. We would've gotten away with the Thanksgivin' Turkey Incident of Senior Year if he hadn' known about the plan."

"Yeah, nobody would have known we caused the explosion if he hadn't tattled."

Shaking his head, Wade just smirked. Cora would never seize to surprise him.

* * *

"Hey Cor, I was wondering if…" Wade trailed off as he opened the door to her room. She was nowhere to be seen as he stepped inside.

He couldn't help but laugh at the appearance of the room; it looked so much like a girl's dorm room; girly decorations adorned the wall, a baby blue and purple comforter was on the bed, and a distinctively female scent hung in the air. It smelled like Bath and Body Works, Wade thought as he cruised around.

Looking around the room, a collage of pictures on the wall above the bed caught his eye. _Life isn't measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away_ was written in a loopy, knock-off calligraphy font on different colored post-it notes. Getting closer, he scanned the photos.

Many of them were of Cora and Ororo, with Jean in quite a few of them as well. He snickered at how silly some of them were; the three girls with green mud masks on and striking a pose in the bathroom mirror, while another looked like the aftermath of a chocolate syrup and whipped cream battle; the result was three very sticky looking teenage girls with whip cream smeared haphazardly over them. Another of her and Ro straddling a lamp post and laughing caught Wade's eye and caused him to laugh.

_Crazy Girls._

There were pictures from graduation, life around the mansion, times at an amusement park, and what appeared to be a beach trip. Scooter was in several as well, most of the time with his arm around Jean and a boy scout smile on his face.

That's when Wade saw it. Reaching out, he plucked the picture off the wall. It was a close-up of Cora, her browns eyes brighter than ever and a broad smile on her lips. A man was behind her, his arms encircling her shoulders as his head rested against hers, his lips pressed to her temple. He had olive skin and long, dark hair. Flipping the picture over, there was writing on the back. _Remy and I, his first visit to the mansion._

So this was Remy, Wade thought as he scowled at the picture. Only one thought crossed his mind.

_What a dumbass._

The sound of the door opening brought him out of his reverie and he managed to stick the picture back before Cora walked in. She seemed startled for a moment, but grinned once she saw it was Wade.

"Finally wake up?" she asked, wiping her face on a towel before throwing it at him.

"It's nine o' clock…on a Saturday." Wade said, trying to emphasize that it was insane to be up this early on a weekend. Catching the towel, he pitched it back at her.

"Yeah, but DR sessions start at seven." She laughed out as she pulled clothes out of her suitcase. Things were silent for a moment before Wade spoke.

"So, I've got a bone to pick with you." Cora straightened up, a confused look on her face.

"Umm, okay?" He pointed to the picture of her and Ro straddling the lamp post.

"How long did you know that pole before acting like that, young lady?" His voice was a mocking shrill, similar to a mother's shriek after catching her daughter sneaking in after a long night. Cora's eyes went to the picture before bursting out laughing, leaning into Wade as she did.

"'At was my first one-night stand. Ro and I decided to share 'im; he was such a good pole." She giggled out, smiling at the memory.

"Looks like you were a bit of a wild child back in the day…" He said, motioning to a picture of her hanging upside down from a tree branch to another of her, Ororo, and Jean in not-so-modest Halloween costumes.

"Yeah…" she murmured as she reached out to press a few pictures more firmly against the wall. "Which reminds me!" she said suddenly, whirling around to dig in her suitcase. Reaching in the front pocket, she pulled out a photograph.

"Yah've officially made the wall." Grabbing tape off the dresser, she stuck the picture on the wall. It was of the two of them during their stay down in Cuba. Both of them were sporting sunburns and cheesy grins as they squinted into the sun. She smiled at the addition a moment before putting the tape back.

"And now, I'm goin' to go take a shower…so behave." She added, wagging a warning finger at him.

"Why don't I join you so you can keep an eye on me?" Wade asked, stripping his shirt off to go along with his suggestion. With an eye roll and a coy smirk, Cora strode into the bathroom, leaving the door open in her wake.

"You just can't resist me!" Wade crowed, following close behind.

**In the stories I've read, Storm always seems so uptight, yet I see her as a bit crazy! Lol. Looking back, I wish I had put more Storm in Seductress, but I didn't know they were such good friends until I wrote this! Hahahaha. Oh, and the picture of Storm and Cora straddling the light pole...that was inspired by two friends of mine. I was the lucky photographer who captured the moment of 'Hump that pole'. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! **

**Review? I think so! Haha. Feel free to leave me questions, comments, complaints, or story/chapter ideas. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey hey hey! I'm feeling chipper on this Wednesday afternoon, not totally sure why though! Haha. Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you guys enjoy it! Just want to thank all of my reviewers (You guys exude awesomeness, just so you know!). Like always, feel free to leave questions, comments, complaints, or anything else in a lovely little review for me. :)**

"Hey, I need to talk to yah." Cora said, handing Wade his ticket as they walked through the airport. Things were slow and quiet, a few travelers milling around as they waited. He simply nodded as he continued to try to pry his jaws apart. The taffy candy he swore he had to have earlier had practically cemented his mouth shut; Cora had nearly rolled in the floor with laughter when it first happened.

"I'm not flyin' home with yah."

"WHAT?" Wade's jaws suddenly became unstuck and his yell made several bystanders look over at them. Grabbing his arm, she drug him towards his gate as she tried to calm him down.

"It's nothin' permanent! As long as yah stay at yahr place 'til I come back, I'll find yah." He looked a bit calmer, but still frantic.

"Why? What are you doing that I can't help with?" Sliding her hand down into his and giving it a squeeze, she remained silent for a moment.

"I have some business to take care of and I need to do it alone." Stopping in front of his gate, they stood in silence for a moment. Brushing a hand over her cheek, Wade laughed softly.

"Try to stay out of trouble then, I won't be there to save your ass." Cora elbowed him playfully as she scowled.

"Last time I checked, it was yahr ass gettin' saved by me, not the other way around." As he handed his boarding pass to the attendant, he turned back to her.

"When should I expect you to show up at my door?" Shrugging, Cora tried to think. _One day to get down there, one day for recon, one day for planning…_

"A week; maybe more, maybe less." An unhappy sigh escaped his lips. In the beginning, she had waited longer than that for him to go out on work; now, he was pouting like a baby over a week. Before going down the hallway to board his plane, he came back to her.

"If some guy even looks at you wrong, get his name. I'll track him down and cut his balls off." He said quietly before kissing a laughing Cora.

"I'll be sure to keep a list." She said as he disappeared. Turning on her heel, she walked in the opposite direction, heading to another gate.

"Now boarding all seats on the 12:30 flight to New Orleans." The flight attendant said, smiling as she took Cora's boarding pass.

* * *

The oppressing New Orleans heat greeted Cora as she stepped off the plane. Walking quickly through the airport, she hailed a cab. After fifteen minutes of driving, she was in a familiar neighborhood.

"Stop here please." She said suddenly, digging in her bag for money. After paying the driver, she stepped out onto the street. She was standing outside an old bar. Since it was only midday, the bar was empty except for the bartender, who was rubbing down glasses with an old rag.

"Is Jeremy in?" Cora asked, as she walked toward the bar.

"Who's askin?"

"An ol' friend." He surveyed her for a moment, a suspicious light in his eyes. Picking up the phone mounted by the door, he pushed a few buttons. A few snipped words, all French, filled the air before he hung up again.

"Upstairs and to the right." He said shortly, already back to cleaning glasses. Slinging her duffle bag over her shoulder, she climbed the stairs and knocked on the only door to the right.

"Come in." A deep, scratchy voice called out. Stepping inside, Cora smiled softly at the man sitting behind a desk. It had been nearly a decade since their last encounter, yet he looked almost exactly the same. A few crow's feet had shown up, but nothing else; his hair was still dark brown, eyes still hazel, back still straight as an arrow.

"Look what the cat dragged in." he said when he saw her. Standing up, he reached out a hand.

"Nice t'see yah too J." She extended her own hand, shaking his.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, mon ami? It's been quite some time since I last saw you."

"I was hopin' to cash in a favor." Silence filled the air for a moment as he watched her from across the desk.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, his voice tense. Cora sat down in a chair, dropping her duffle bag in the floor.

"I'm lookin' for a man named Felix." Jeremy rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking.

"Do you have any information on him?"

"Jus' his name and the fact that he's involved with a mercenary." He looked across the desk at her.

"Go gear up. I'll make a few calls to see what I can find."

* * *

"Cora?"

"Long time no see." She said, grinning at the toothless old man behind the counter.

"It certainly has been. It's nice to see you've found your way back to the South."

"Jus' for a visit." She added quickly. He waved the sentence off, motioning to the products in his shop.

"I'm sure you'll find what you need then." The phone rang, drawing his attention away from her. Browsing over the shelves, she started formulating a plan of attack. She didn't want to follow the usual pattern of seduction; no, this time, she wanted to make a statement. Her thoughts were interrupted by the bell ringing as somebody else entered the store.

"Mi Cherie?"

_This can't be happening._ Cora set her face into a neutral expression before turning.

"Pas plus…" she murmured, not wanting to meet his eye. _Not anymore._

"I heard you were in the area. What brings you to de good city Petit?" Remy asked, his voice as suave and flawless as she remembered.

"Work." She kept her answer short as she turned back to the products on the shelf.

"Ah, and what is de line of work now? Still in de business?" He asked, following her as she walked down an aisle.

"No." It wasn't a lie. She was a mercenary's go-to girl, not a thief.

"Den what brings you to Frank's?" It was a plausible question. No ordinary citizen would come to a place like Frank's. The store was actually a secret, hidden in the basement of a deli. Frank, the owner, had opened it a few decades ago to help the Guilds out with supplies. With explosives, weapons, and other criminal gear, it wasn't your average convenience store.

"Unfinished business." Before he could respond, she leaned over the counter to peek into the back room. "FRANK! WHERE'S THE C4?" She asked loudly. Remy's eyes widened slightly.

"I'd hate to be part of that business." Frank said, coming out with a block of C4 explosives.

"Jus' a bit Sugah." She told him, showing him how thick a piece she wanted. Walking away from the counter, Cora began grabbing various items, trying to ignore the presence of the Cajun following her.

"So what is dis unfinished business Cherie?" She knew he would keep asking if she didn't answer; sighing loudly, she spoke.

"Somebody talked and almost got me and somebody else killed." Remy quirked an eyebrow questionably. "What?"

"Who is de somebody else?" Laying her other supplies on the counter, she chose to ignore him. He didn't need to know about Wade or their relationship. Frank bagged up her supplies in a brown sack and slid them across the counter as she paid.

"Looks like somebody's goin' to make some trouble." He said with a laugh. With a grin and a wave, she left the shop, groaning as Remy followed her.

"What d'you want?" she finally asked, turning to face him.

"It's been almost nine years Cherie, at least treat me to a drink." He grinned at her, trying to charm her the way he used to.

"Remy…" she sighed. She didn't feel like being a total ass to him. Even if she had been angry about how their relationship panned out, he had been too kind to her to be treated badly. "I can't."

"And why not?"

"'Cause I have somebody waitin' for me at home." The sentence shot out of her mouth before she knew what she was saying. They began walking again, this time side by side.

"And where is dis man?"

"He's at home." Remy scowled at that.

"He let a belle femme do de dirty work?" Cora resisted the urge to stomp on Remy's toes.

"No. I sent 'im home and came here myself. He always takes care of me, so I figured I should take care of 'im." The continued in silence for a few moments before Remy spoke again.

"So who is dis man? You never said anything about him." They were outside Jeremy's bar before Cora spoke.

"Listen Remy. I appreciate you bein' nice, 'specially after the way I treated yah…back 'en. But things didn' work out. I have a guy I care 'bout and I don' wanna screw it up." She shifted from one foot to the other, waiting for him to speak.

"Perhaps I can help you with dis business?" She was shaking her head before he finished.

"No. Jus'…" Cora sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I can take care of myself. I'll stay outta the Guild's way and I'll be gone in a few days. Jus' pretend I was never 'ere." With that, she slid through the door of the bar and out of sight.

"Easier said than done, Cherie." Remy murmured softly, slowly walking back the way they had come.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys, I'm back. Truthfully, I can't think when my last update was, so I'm going to do the mandatory apology even if it hasn't been that long. It's been a rough week (homework, a failed chem exam, life in general, the impending doom of talking about the chem exam with my parents and my absolute least favorite holiday in the world coming up are all wrapped up in a nice, hellish package to greet me). Anyway, enough boo-hooing on my part, you guys aren't here to read about my personal woes. I must say I'm particulary proud of parts of this chapter. Lol. I feel like I may have made some emotions more clear, but maybe that's just me. Hope you guys enjoy, and as always, feel free to leave a review with questions, complaints, compliments, or anything else you can think of! **

Cora leaned back against the door of Jeremy's bar after she came in. Of all the people she could have bumped into in New Orleans, it had to be her ex-boyfriend. _Real freakin' great._ Hopefully he would follow her advice and leave her to her business, but you never could tell with Remy Lebeau.

Taking a steadying breath, she headed across the room. Sliding through the doorway, she quickly climbed the stairs and let herself back into the office.

"Are you sure about that?" Jeremy's voice greeted her as he paced around the office with a cell phone to his ear. His brow furrowed slightly before he caught sight of her. With a vague sweep of his arm, he motioned towards the chair in front of his desk as he listened to the person on the phone. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know. Bye." Dropping his phone on the desk, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Who the hell are you running with now Cora?" She returned his weary gaze with one filled with confusion.

"What're yah talkin' about?" He leaned into the edge of his desk.

"This Felix you asked about, you already know him. He's an informant for a mercenary called Wade Wilson. Wilson's your partner." He stared at her, his eyes seeming to bore a hole into her.

"So?"

"SO? Cor, since when are you a merc? Wasn't it you who demanded the Guild not take a life on the job unless absolutely necessary?" Cora clenched her jaw. That was a long time ago; times had changed.

"Things are diff'rent." She muttered, working to control her breathing, which was threatening to become heavy with irritation and regret for coming here. "And who are yah to judge anyway? I've only taken one life; a lot less blood on my hands than yahrs." Jeremy looked away, the barb nicking the exact place she wanted. No way in hell was she going to let him point fingers. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a tired sigh.

"I…I'm sorry. It's not my business to meddle in your affairs. I just…" He trailed off for a moment before standing and heading to a liquor cabinet beside the desk. "The man you asked about is named Felix Soult. He lives on the northern edge of town, I'll write the address down for you." He poured himself a drink and settled down in his desk chair before continuing.

"There is something about the mercenary I want to ask." Cora nodded, crossing her legs as she did. "Did you know he's in contact with William Stryker?"

"Yeah, he's supposed to give Wade some medical help. Why?" Jeremy looked over the rim of his glass, surveying her for a moment.

"I'm surprised you don't remember the name, mon ami. After all, he made a very large impact on your life many years ago." Suddenly, everything came rushing in Cora's mind. Stryker was the man over the Three Mile Island testing facility; he had her kidnapped and tested on like a lab rat. She hadn't remembered the name because she had only heard it once; things tended to slip the memory when you were told while being tortured. She tried to swallow, but her throat seemed stuck at the moment.

"Damn…" she murmured softly.

"Yeah, 'damn' is right. Maybe Wilson doesn't know about Stryker's past…or maybe he's trying to lure you back in." Cora shook her head, not believing him.

"Wade would never do 'at, he…" she trailed off, not finishing her sentence. She couldn't say he wouldn't do it because of love. In their nearly two years together, he had never said those three words. "He cares 'bout me." She finally said, feeling it was a bit of a weak reason.

"Yes, but he's a mercenary. You know their kind can't be trusted. They simply rent their services to the highest bidder without any discretion towards whom or what they may destroy." Cora's temper flared at his words.

"In case yah forgot, I'm a mercenary too! Is 'at what yah think of me?" she demanded, her voice seething with anger. Ignoring her question, he continued.

"How do you know he isn't selling you out?" Silence filled the room for a few moments.

"I jus' know." She said quietly, standing up from her seat. "Now give me the address."

* * *

Cora sat in the dimly lit office, waiting. Reclined in the desk chair, she had her feet propped up on the desk. Her spiked boots caught the moonlight streaming through the window behind her, glinting slightly.

_Wade always calls them dominatrix boots_, she thought with a smirk. _Of course that goober would think of that._

Pulling out her phone, she opened it and hesitated. Finally, she dialed his number. After a moment of silence, it automatically kicked over to voicemail.

_Hey, this is Wade, I'm being owned by a seductress at the moment and can't get to the phone right now. Leave me a message and I'll try and get back to you._ Grinning, she waited for the tone.

"Hey Wade, this is yahr seductress, I hope yah aren' too bored without me 'ere to own yah. Jus' wanted to call and tell yah I should be home this evenin'. Can't wait to see yah loser." She laughed out before snapping her phone closed. Despite her lighthearted message, it felt as if a million thoughts were weighing down on her mind.

Jeremy, no matter how infuriating it was to admit it, had raised a point. Wade had asked her if she would come with him to work for Stryker; he noted that they wouldn't have the same job, but at least they would be together. Knowing Stryker's true identity, this probably meant that Wade would be doing whatever he was being hired to do while Cora was thrust into a lab for experimentation again.

As much as she cared for Wade, she couldn't put herself at that risk again; nothing on this earth could make her go willingly into that. But she couldn't just tell Wade about Stryker. As much as she hated it, Stryker was Wade's last chance. No other doctor could help him; basically, it was Stryker or bust. She wouldn't let Wade die if there was somebody willing to cure him.

The sound of a door closing downstairs brought her out of her thoughts, setting her plan into motion. The echo of steps on the stairs signaled that company was near. The person paused on the landing outside the door, giving her enough time to relax her body and set her face into a confident grin. The office door opened, a middle aged man with black hair entering and flipping the lights on. When he saw Cora sitting at his desk, he stiffened and his eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice harsh. A feline smirk spread across her face as she watched him.

"I guess we've never been formally introduced. Felix, I'm Cora." Realization lit up his eyes for a moment before they went hard again.

"The woman with Wade?"

"Yes, 'at'd be me." He took a few tentative steps forward, trying to feign being at ease.

"So, what are the reasons for this unexpected visit? I'm sure if you just wanted to talk, you would have called instead of breaking into my home." Cora slid her feet off the desk, settling into the chair like a throne. Crossing her legs at the knee, she continued her cat-like grin.

"Can' a girl talk to a coworker 'at's done _so much_ for her." Motioning to the chairs across from the desk, she waited for him to sit down. "I'm sure yah heard 'bout what happened in Lebanon." Felix nodded, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, I heard. What a horrible thing. Any idea who betrayed you?" His voice sounded concerned and steady, but his emotions told all. He was guilty and it was taking everything in him to keep himself from shaking in that chair.

"I have an idea." She said smoothly, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the desk. Silence settled between them, sweat beginning to form on Felix's brow. "Yah know what I hate?" she asked suddenly, her voice soft as her gaze never left him. Not waiting for him to answer, she continued. "I hate liars. I really do Felix." His face paled ever so slightly.

"In our business, I think we all do." As sick as it sounded, Cora loved the power she had over Felix. With a simple conversation, she nearly had him fainting in the floor from fear. It made her feel strong and in control; it was so different than the control she had with her mutation. It had a different taste to it; it was sweet, with a slightly bitter undertone, like dark chocolate. With a nod, she continued.

"What I hate even more is when those liars try to kill someone near and dear to my lil' southern heart." By now, her voice was a dangerous whisper, though a smirk still played across her lips.

"Perfectly understandable." Felix breathed out nervously. His brow was glistening by now, guilt written all over his face.

"I want yah to think 'bout that." Standing up from her seat, she strolled over to the door before turning back. "Pleasure meetin' yah Felix." She called out before descending the stairs, her boots clicking against the wooden flooring.

The house was silent as she walked out onto the sidewalk and strolled down the street. After two blocks, she glanced at her watch.

_3…2…1…_ The sound of a massive explosion rocked the street, the impact making her stumble slightly as she continued walking. Glancing back, a column of black smoke was filling the air as debris rained down on the road. Bystanders were rushing to the scene as flames enveloped the remainder of the house. With a satisfied grin on her face, Cora turned and headed back to her hotel to grab her bags. She had a flight to catch.

* * *

Remy padded into the kitchen to find a plate of homemade doughnuts sitting on the table. Grinning, he grabbed one and slumped down into a chair. The newspaper was on the table as well; his father must have left it there after breakfast. Just as he was glancing away, a headline caught his eye.

_Explosion Destroys House, Takes Life of Owner._

Sliding the paper over, he unfolded it to see the entire story. What was being credited as a gas leak gone bad had destroyed a home on the northern outskirts of the city. A picture of the ruins, along with a pillar of coal black smoke and a few remaining flames took up nearly half the front page. Shaking his head, Remy frowned slightly. From the description, a gas leak wasn't the cause for the damage; a bit of C4 was.

It looked like Cora was more in the business than she was letting on. Glancing over the article, he read that the explosion had occurred later yesterday evening…which meant the Seductress was long gone by now.

"Quelle honte…"* Remy muttered as he shoved the paper away and grabbed another doughnut.

*"What a shame."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey hey! :) If you can't tell, I'm in a much better mood this time, though I feel exhausted at the moment. Here's the next chapter! There isn't a lot of plot-iness to it, mainly just fluff. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lol. Anyway, just a friendly reminder that this story is coming to a close (I just did this service announcement a few days ago; I feel kind of silly rehashing it.) Contrary to Seductress, I have no clue where I'm going from this point. I mean, yes, I know the basic layout of the last chapter, but I don't know what's leading up to it or how I'll flesh out anything. It's unnerving yet utterly exciting at the same moment. Oh, and one final thought! I totally went beast all over my next X-men story the other day (the WadexOC one I've mentioned a few times). No lie, I wrote about 3 or 4 chapters, about 11,000 words, in one sitting. I already had parts of that story written, but my brain suddenly decided it was all wrong and I changed almost everything. Haha, it was great. Anywho, hope you enjoy this chapter! **

Cora strolled into Wade's apartment, quietly closing the door behind her. Overall, things were silent, though she could hear a bass beat coming from somewhere further within. Dropping her duffel bag on the kitchen counter, she peered down the hallway. All the doors were open except one.

Cora's body sank into a stealthy stance, her steps silent as she snuck towards the door. Opening the door slowly, she peeked inside. What normal people would have made an office, Wade had transformed into a weight room. On more than one occasion, she had listened to him complain about it being too small to practice in, causing him to have to go to a gym fifteen minutes away.

Rock music assaulted her ears as she slid through the crack in the door. Wade had his back turned towards her as he slid weight plates onto a barbell, a glistening coating of sweat making his bare torso shine. Unable to resist, Cora stalked quietly forward, a devious plan sprouting in her mind.

A step away, she reached out, grabbing Wade's shoulders as she swiped his feet out from under him. His shocked gasp was cut short as he fell on his back on the padded floor. Before he could say anything, Cora dropped on top of him, straddling his waist and smirking.

"Nice to see you too." Wade said, rubbing the back of his head where it smacked against the mat. Letting her lip jut out in a fake pout, she leaned closer to him, looming over his face.

"Is somebody grumpy 'cause they bumped their head? Or b'cause they got taken advantage of?" His scowl suddenly turned into a grin as he ran his hands up her thighs and let them settle on her backside.

"You always act like this when you wear those dominatrix boots." Cora couldn't help it; she broke her façade and laughed as she leaned back.

"I can't help it, I feel like a badass in 'ese things." Both of them chuckled as she pushed herself to her feet and helped him up. Before she could say anything though, Wade had her pinned against the barbell with his mouth firmly against hers. The intensity of the kiss made her head spin. Finally, she pushed him away, gasping as she rested her forehead against hers.

"Maybe I should run off more often?" she suggested, grinning as he kissed his way down her jaw and neck.

"I don't think so." He growled, picking her up bridal style and carrying her from the weight room.

"What're yah doin'?" she asked, alarmed by the determined look on his face.

"Ending my weeklong stint of celibacy." He said quietly, letting his face break into a grin as he kicked the bedroom door open.

"Yah must've been miserable." She cooed teasingly.

"You have no idea."

* * *

"So where did you go?" Wade's voice rumbled against the small of her back as kissed his way back up her spine.

"N'Orlans…" she murmured, staring out the window at the setting sun. Wade's mouth froze on her back, his hand hovering above her hip.

"What were you doing there?" As much as he tried to be relaxed, she didn't need to be an empath to know how tense he was. She remained silent, never taking her eyes from the window. "Cor, what were you doing?" His hand found her jaw and tugged it around so she would look at him.

"I found who double-crossed us…and killed 'im." He was silent for a moment before grinning.

"Damn girl. And I was worried you were going back to that Remy guy." She found herself smiling back at him. "I could have come with you, yah know?" Cora brushed her fingers against his cheek.

"I know. I jus' felt like this was somethin' I should do alone." A calloused hand roved over her stomach.

"Who was it?" he asked quietly. Cora sighed, lacing her fingers with his as she continued watching the sun set.

"It was Felix." She felt his body tense up, his emotions flaring angrily for a moment before they were abruptly shoved aside.

"So how did you do it? You didn't take swords with you…or me." He settled his chin on her shoulder as he looked at her.

"I rigged his house with C4, had a lil' chat, then let it blow." Instead of another silence, Wade began shaking with laughter.

"You had a little chat? What is that supposed to mean? You asked him for a recipe and a spot of tea?" Cora just rolled her eyes and smacked him in the head with a pillow. It was becoming a habit.

"What about yah?" He looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"What'd yah do while I was gone?" Wade shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing much, just training and stuff." She sighed. Of course he would be vague.

"Did yah call Stryker?"

"Why would I call Stryker?" Cora ran her hand through her hair, going over the words she had planned on the plane.

"Wade, we both know he's yahr only chance. The sooner yah start workin' for 'im, the sooner he can heal yah up. Why waste time?" Wade rolled over onto his back, sighing.

"Will you go with me?" She forced her body to stay loose and relaxed as she snuggled up next to him, resting her head on his chest.

"Why would yah want me to come?" His hand caught her wrist, keeping her from feeling the scars on his chest.

"Why wouldn't I want you to come?" Cora bit her lip. How was she supposed to voice her concern without Wade ditching him as an option?

"I mean, would he really like some tag-along comin' with yah?" He shrugged.

"Who cares? If he's going to hire me, may as well bring my assets with me." He grinned down at her, pulling her onto his chest. "Plus, I'm sure having you stark naked in bed with me will help the process." Cora laughed before burying her face in his neck, the smell of Wade overwhelming her senses. He had a distinctly male scent; a cocktail of testosterone, musk, fresh laundry and a touch of sweat at the moment. Her voice was muffled when she spoke.

"Call 'im, please."

"Go with me." Heaving a sigh, she let her hand trace its way up his stomach, over his chest through her hair that had settled there, and let it rest on his neck. She could feel his pulse; it felt so strong and defiant for somebody who was on death's door. Slowly, she seeped a small amount of her mutation into him, hopefully making him more agreeable.

"I'll think about it. Now please, go call him." He was silent for a moment before he rolled her over so he was looming over top of her.

"I will. But first…" he trailed off as he leaned down and kissed her.

"Round three?" she asked, smirking at his boyish grin.

"You must be a telepath; that was just what I was thinking."

**Like I said, nothing plotty, but it was a nice dose of fluff and talk. If you have any questions, complaints, compliments or anything else, feel free to shoot me a review! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**So...*sigh*...this is the last chapter. I didn't realize it was here until I sat down to actually continue on with the story. I remember opening my laptop and going to my master file (which holds all the chapters together in one place) and thinking, "Holy crap. It's time." I'll do a bigger author's note at the end, but first, a concern: I haven't had any reviewers in two chapters, which is certainly alarming. Did I lose you guys when we were so close to the end? What happened? Maybe I shoudn't have killed Felix (though it sounds sadistic, I enjoyed those chapters) and cut straight to this chapter? Idk...But anyway, for those of you reading, I hope you enjoy the final installment of _How Cora Met Wade: A Seductress Sidestory_.**

Cora stretched out her back, running her fingers over the silk sheets. Opening her eyes, she looked out the window. Instead of seeing the usual view of Wade's apartment, she saw a brilliant cityscape and a sliver of a bay. It was a postcard view, this window was. She never realized how beautiful Hong Kong was until she saw it in real life.

Sitting up, she heard the water running, only to be shut off moments later. It was weird, she never heard Wade get up that morning; jetlag may have been to blame for that. Yawning, she pulled herself out of bed and dug in her suitcase for something to wear. Settling for a pair of khaki shorts and a purple tank top, she walked out into the hall and slid into the now vacant bathroom. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she stood in the doorway and listened. The floor creaked further in the apartment; it sounded like Wade was in the kitchen.

Cora hastily ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to tame her brown locks as she padded down the hallway.

"Hey Wade, I'm…" she trailed off when she saw him leaning against the kitchen counter. She let a grin slip on her face as she looked at him; even in a pair of ratty shorts, he looked like a sculpted Greek god. He smirked at her ogling before speaking into the phone he was holding.

"Colonel William Stryker, please." At those words, she faltered. Grabbing her purse off the counter, she mouthed the word 'store' before sliding on a pair of sandals and heading out the door. As soon as she entered the elevator, she leaned against the wall and let her head tip back.

She knew it was coming; she had known ever since she remembered who Stryker was. She just didn't know how to tell Wade that she couldn't go with him. With a 'DING!' from the elevator, she shoved the thoughts aside and walked out of the building. Instead of walking to the supermarket, she headed towards a farmer's market that was a few blocks away. She could feel tears tickling the backs of her eyes, just waiting to well up at the most inopportune moment.

With a great deal of effort, she managed to keep them down as she meandered through the stands of melons, beans, rice and other foods. She let her thoughts wander, trying to think of somebody else who could help Wade. She thought of the X-Men; they had access to tons of state-of-the-art medical equipment. Glancing at her watch, she decided to call them. Pulling out her phone, she dialed quickly and waited.

"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, how may I help you?" It was Storm.

"Hey 'Ro." Cora said, her voice close to quivering.

"Hey girl! What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Can I talk to the Professor?" There was silence on the other end for a moment; Ororo wasn't stupid. She could tell something was wrong.

"Sure, give me a second." She stood in silence for a few moments before the familiar English voice came on the line.

"Hello Cora, what a pleasure to have you call." Her throat tightened slightly as she started walking again.

"Hey Professor. I was wonderin' if…if yah knew any good oncologists?"

"You aren't sick, are you?" His voice was worried. Perhaps the distance between them kept him from reading her mind. That, or he was a good actor.

"Not me." She said softly, feeling tears sting her eyes. "A friend. He has one option, but it's not a good one."

"Let me get to Cerebro Cora." Xavier said, his voice calm again. They hung up and she resorted to idling between a stall selling fresh seafood and a man selling watermelons out of the back of his truck. Suddenly, a voice that didn't belong broke through her thoughts.

"_Cora?" _

"_Yes Professor?" _

"_I used Cerebro and found your friend Mr. Wilson. His condition is surprisingly advanced. I couldn't find any doctor's capable of healing him."_ Cora's knees nearly gave out beneath her. Grabbing her bag, she made her way unsteadily away from the farmer's market.

"_I'm sorry I couldn't help you. It seems his other option is his only choice." _Sighing softly, she forced herself to sound calm in her mind.

"_Thank yah for tryin' Professor. It's not yahr fault."_ With that, she felt him leave her mind, making it feel oddly empty. Slowly, she walked back towards the apartment, trying to enjoy the summer air, the bright sunshine, and the breeze that was causing her hair to fly around her face.

All too soon, she was standing outside their building. Heaving a sigh, she walked in and took the elevator to the top floor. Opening the door, she heard Wade milling around the kitchen still.

"Why are yah packin'?" she asked, dropping the bag of groceries on the counter. He had a duffel bag sitting on the kitchen counter, opened to reveal that most of the clothes he had packed for Hong Kong were haphazardly placed inside. He looked at her, slightly confused.

"I took the offer." He continued throwing clothes in the bag. "Stryker said he'd be happy to have you. So go pack up and we can get going!" he said grinning at her. Gritting her teeth, she swallowed. She would hate herself for this, but she had to do this. For both of them.

"I'm not so sure about this Stryker guy, he sounds kind of shady. I mean, he won' tell yah anything 'bout what he's hirin' yah for." When he didn't answer, she continued. "I don't think yah should go with me." As she said it, she slid around the counter and wrapped her arms around his bare waist. She tried to be subtle, but her nerves got the best of her and her mutation spiked. He stalled in his packing, his body relaxing against hers for a moment.

"Play fair Cora." He murmured, knowing she was trying to change the plan. "Sure, Stryker's being kind of shady, but everybody we work for is that way. Now go pack so we can go." He sounded impatient, though she didn't really blame him. His life literally rested in the hands of Stryker. Trying to keep her face neutral, she bit back the tears threatening to spill over.

"I'm not goin' with yah." Her voice was surprisingly strong for the way she felt. He froze, looking at her with wide eyes. They both knew what those words meant. Since he had given up his old apartment and both were getting their cell phone numbers changed to avoid enemies they had made in their time as mercenaries, there would be no way to find each other if they split up. For Cora, Wade was like trying to cup water in your hands. As hard as she tried, she could never keep it from leaking through the cracks and disappearing. For a fleeting moment, she felt his emotions shift. He was thinking about changing his mind and staying.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I have a bad feelin' about him…" Hoping she had a sturdy enough poker face, she continued on with her twisted truth. "I'm not sure what it is, but I feel like…he's done somethin' bad." He frowned, looking at his bag as if her were about to just tip all of its contents out.

"But yah have to go!" she said suddenly, realizing he was serious about changing his mind.

"But I don't want to go without you." His voice was soft, almost like a child's.

"Yah are not dyin' for me! Yah're takin' yahr ass to Stryker and gettin' yahrself fixed!" she nearly yelled, tears beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes. He looked surprised by her outburst as he dropped the last of his clothes in the bag and headed towards the bedroom. After gathering the last of his things, he grabbed his backup pair of katana swords and made his way back to the kitchen.

Cora looked like she had been crying; though there weren't any tears on her cheeks, her eyes were rimmed in red. Dropping the last of his things in his bag and zipping it, he turned to her. Pressing the sheathed blades into her hands, he gripped her chin and made her look at him.

"Keep practicing love. You've got talent." Grabbing his duffel bag, he swung it over his shoulder and stood before her. She was biting her lip and looking off to the side, the tell-tell sign that she was close to bursting in tears.

"I wish you'd come with me…" He said softly, grabbing her hand. "But if you don't want to, I won't make you. Once this Stryker guy heals me up and lets me go, I'll come looking for you. I l…" He faltered for a moment, unnerved by how shaken he was feeling. A woman's tears had never torn him up before. "I'll miss you." He kissed her cheek softly before releasing her hand. Before she could speak, he was out the door, the muffled sound of the elevator door closing confirming he was gone.

* * *

Wade slowly walked into his new room, scowling at how plain it was. Shutting the door behind him, he dropped his duffel bag in the floor and unzipped it. Instead of taking everything out neatly (_I will not iron those for you again, Wade Wilson!_), he dumped the contents out on his bed and began the grueling process of sorting everything out into drawers. Shirts were hung up in the closet, socks and boxers in the top drawer of his dresser, cargo pants in the drawer below that; he had nearly everything in its place when a paper caught his eye. Unfolding it, he saw it was a piece of stationary from the apartment.

_Wade, _

_I'm sorry for the way I acted. I had to get you to go to Stryker without me. I would have come if it had been any other person in the world but him. He did things to me in the past, horrible things. Things I've worked to forget, though they still haunt me. I couldn't let you let this opportunity slip away though; we both know he's your only chance. Just know that I did what I did out of love. Sometimes things aren't fair I guess. I'm sure you'll find someone better after all this is over. Work hard, get cured, and try not to cause too much trouble. _

_Cora_

He traced his finger over her signature as he mulled over the words. "_…though they still haunt me…_" Wade stared at the words, an idea forming in this mind. Could Stryker be the man that tested on her at Three Mile Island? He pushed the thought aside as he looked at one small word inked on the page.

_Love_.

He had never said it to her. He knew how much that meant to her, believing her powers would never allow her to have a real relationship with somebody. She was wrong though. Sometime during his visit to Xavier's, he knew. He knew he loved her. He had thought about it before then, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt after meeting her friends and seeing her at her old school.

Sighing, he folded the paper back up and slid it in one of the dresser drawers. Looking back on the bed, he cringed at the next item he saw. The black, velvety box demanded his attention as he sat down beside it. Grabbing it, he flipped the lid open to reveal a simple diamond ring. The silver band caught the overhead light and flashed slightly as he tilted it.

He had planned on telling her he loved her when he proposed. It was all shot to hell now though. Standing up, he placed the box in the same drawer as the letter and stormed out of the room.

**I know I skewed the break-up scene from the one given in _Seductress_. I had to change it to fit with the story line better, seeing how the one from _Seductress_ was written quite a few months ago, long before this fic was even a plot bunny. I was nearly ready to edit and post when the little Wade in my mind (the one that seems to break through the fourth wall and interrupt my stories! Lol.) led me to the little plot niblet that was the last section of this chapter. As weird as it sounds, I fell in love with the CoraxWade pairing while writing this story just as much as I fell for the CoraxRemy pairing. It broke my heart to split the two up instead of leaving them in eternal fan fiction bliss. So those emotions sort of translated into the latter portion of this. Sort of adds a new facet to things I guess...**

**Anyway, onto the official stuff! A huge thank you to my lovely reviewers who helped me keep my chin up and muse going strong when I felt like stopping! ThisSideortheOther and nekuranekomegami, thank you so much for sticking with this story and reviewing regularly! You don't know how much it meant to have some readers out there telling me they liked what I was writing. You guys rule and deserve something ultra-super-mega awesome for your awesomeness! Now onto nostalgia...it's weird...looking back. Back when Cora was nothing more than an idea that popped up in my pea brain one day...Now, she's the main character of two fics. It's crazy to think she's done unless I get struck with some crazy, suger-induced plot bunny that won't shut up! Hahaha! Anyway, as far as my writing goes, I'm going to take a break from X-Men writing. Not permanently though! I'm going to finish my Green Mile story and work on my others that I've started but haven't posted (My WadexOC story and a Saving Private fic mainly).**

**Until next time readers, **

**PC**


End file.
